Soap Magazine
I almost miss the workshop on a busy coastal road in the Ghanaian capital . The faded sign reading Kane Kwei Coffins in block letters sits prominently outside a small structure set between a three-story supermarket and a few ramshackle buildings . Children run around coffins of all shapes and colors : a chili pepper , a cat , a scorpion .
The finished coffins are smooth to the touch , painted in vibrant shades that shine despite the seasonal Harmattan dust coating every surface . Inside the workshop , a group of young apprentices saw grooves into a block of wood that will become a coffin in the shape of a cocoa pod . Founded in the 1950s by Seth Kane Kwei , this is thought to be the oldest coffin shop specializing in abebuu adekai : proverb boxes .
In the last 50 years , these fantasy coffins have become one of Ghana ’ s most unique cultural exports . The curious tradition
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“ Over the years , I ’ ve become more actively engaged in the design process from start to finish . I think that ’ s what really helped me transcend just being a carpenter to being a true artist with a vision .”