Sustainable Development, 2006 Mixed Media

Bend Down Boutique, 2006 Soda Cans

Olaniyi Rasheed Akindiya, known by the name "Akirash," is a native of Nigeria, now residing in Accra, Ghana. His aim is to put life, beauty and meaning into materials otherwise considered useless waste. A member of several organizations, such as Foundation for Contemporary Art, Ghana, Ghana Association of Visual Art, Art In Aktion, and Pan-African Circle of Artists, Akirash has had solo shows in Benin, Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria. He has also taken part in numerous group exhibitions in Africa, Europe and the United States including international biennials.

Much of Akirash's artistic life is focused on mentorship and activism in the community. Since 2003 Akirash has worked with students from New York University and well as from colleges in Canada, Greece and Ireland. He has also served as a coordinator for "Art and AIDS," a five-country effort to remove the stigma of people who are HIV-positive.

In the end, Akirash believes that Art is Life! Art has to have a message: it should re-create, heal and cure.

See more of Akirash’s work at: www.fcaghana.org/index.php?option=com_artist&task=profile&id=86

If one is looking for inspiration, cooperation and improvement, Blue Sky Project is an innovative program that packs a lifetime experience into one summer. To work collaboratively with motivated youth and mind-blowing artists from different disciplines was truly gratifying. With a strong sense of community and great coordination, Blue Sky was just what I needed at this point in my career to blend African, Caribbean and American culture and traditions.

Inspiration, wisdom, knowledge and energy make Blue Sky Project ideal for any artist looking to open themselves up to new possibilities. Incomparable.