Mubarakatu Isaka, better known as Artist Bari, is a Ghanaian artist and the CEO of Bari’s Artistry. She has said that she started her paint-a-thon initiative in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of art in a society where creativity is frequently suppressed.
Monday, April 29 was the beginning of artist Bari’s longest painting marathon as an individual, and it ended on Tuesday, May 7 at the Extreme Pup Restaurant in Akwatia, Eastern Region.
She said that although though her paint-a-thon didn’t have much of a buzz, her main purpose was to honor and promote the beauty of art, and she was successful in doing so.
“I was not just creating art but was making a statement. For 154 hours straight, I painted with passion and purpose. Besides, we live in a world where creativity is often silenced so my paint-a-thon attempt was a reminder that art is not just beautiful, but necessary,” she said.
Shortly after Ghanaian artist Sharon Dede Padiki finished her seven-day GWR attempt to paint the longest by one person, artist Bari made her own attempt.
Following her attempt on March 22, 2024, at the Accra Tourist Information Center, Accra, Sharon achieved 168 hours and 145 paintings, surpassing the existing record of 100 hours.
Although it was less than Sharon’s attempted record of 168 hours, artist Bari disclosed that her 154-hour paint-a-thon was not a competitive endeavor.
“I had a lot of discouragement from many people who didn’t have faith in me, a lot of people thought I was just wasting my time. They didn’t understand the motive behind what I was doing.
“You see, creativity and art always bring people together but it is something we don’t really promote in our country, which is very bad. And I thought, let me use this opportunity to enlighten Ghanaians and elevate the relevance of arts.
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“I want to encourage the youth to sharpen their creative skills since arts have become the core of the world,” she noted.
She disclosed that she was mentally and physically exhausted after her paint-a-thon, but it didn’t stop her from accomplishing her goal.
“At a point, I had health issues, I was hallucinating and was physically and mentally drained, but what actually kept me going was the passion and dream I have for arts. I thank God I went through with my goal,” she said.
Musician Patapaa was there to support Artist Bari
She told Graphic Showbiz that she was excited for Ace-Liam Ankra, a 1-year-old Ghanaian who was recently dubbed the “world’s youngest male artist,” and that she was looking forward to hearing from GWR about her own accomplishment.
