Samuel Tete Katchan

Samuel Tete-Katchan was born in 1975 in Vogan, Togo and currently resides in Accra, Ghana.  Upon completion of his secondary school education, he chose to pursue a career in the Arts to express his kaleidoscopic vision of the world.
 
He underwent his apprenticeship in 1997 at the studio of Mr. Joseph Amedokpo, studying and developing his own style from the ‘Oshogbo Art' from the South West of Nigeria.
 
For Samuel, the world is a stained-glass window where colour assumes the same meaning as forms and symbols, masks and motifs; all merged together depicting the need for a better world.
 
Samuel first exhibited a series of his works under the theme "Vitraux de Vie" or "Stained-Glass Windows of Life" during the ‘Semaine de La Francophonie' (or Francophone Week) organized at Alliance Française- the French Cultural Center- in Accra, Ghana in March 1999.  The same year, he participated in PANAFEST "99", the Pan African Historical Theater Festival in Ghana as an exhibitor and later returned again for "PANAFEST 2001" in July for another exhibition. 
 
In 2000, Samuel worked on a mural painting in Cape Coast, Ghana under the "Public Art Initiative", a project sponsored by the USAID.  In March 2000, he participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Design Competition  (Washington, DC).
In 2001, he participated in "PANCA" and "EWOLE 5", two very popular fairs in Togo, his native land.  It was also that same year that he added to his artistic portfolio the painting of religious scenes in his hometown's Catholic Church, St. Ferdinand de Vogan.
 
In 2002, Samuel was noticed by the former French Cultural Attaché, Denis Decreane who became a major patron of his work, even going to the extent of requesting in 2003 for a mural painting on the front wall of his residence.  In October 2003, he exhibited his works at the Alliance Française of Accra, "Vitraux de Vie 2."
 
In line with his vision, he organized his first"Non-Violence Week" in 2003 at ‘Espace Greenfield', a cultural hub in Togo as a call to freedom and non-violence.  The major activities that took place during that "Non-Violence Week "were a painting exhibition, a press conference and a radio interview.
 
In 2004, Samuel joined the ‘Rapid Painting Competition' or ‘Fast Painting Competition' organized by the Spanish Embassy in Accra, Ghana and was awarded the first prize for the re-interpretation of one of the works of the Baroque Spanish artist, Don Diego de Silva Velázquez, entitled "La Familia de Felipe IV", also, known as "Las Meninas."
 
After the Rapid Painting Competition (2004), Samuel continued to study "Las Meninas" and worked on a series of his own re-interpretations of this emblematic work of the history of Spanish art.  In November 2005, the Spanish Embassy of Ghana exhibited this series of work at Goethe Institut.
In his view, the painting "Las Meninas" is symbolic of the ‘family unit' in the world of art.  This series of his re-interpretation of Velázquez's repertoire is characterized by the usage of bright colors and various shapes and forms; which translates into the celebration of the universal family.
The infant Doña Margarita, one of the main characters of Velázquez's painting, "Las Meninas", according to Samuel stands for children of all races and backgrounds. In December 2005, Samuel completed two mural paintings of religious scenes for Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Tema, Ghana.  One painting depicts The Last Supper and the other, the Resurrection.
In Septembre 2006, he did a mural painting of "Saint Francis Xavier" for Saint      
Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Kotobabi" (Ghana) and during the same month (18-30 Septembre), the Alliance Française of Accra exhibited his works, "Vitraux de Vie 3."