gye nyame symbols

Ghana's Edward Lamptey draws inspiration from traditional African motifs to create this batik cotton wall hanging in a colourful palette. After adding a vibrant background to his creation, the artisan finishes the artwork with two gye nyame symbols, meaning “except God” in the ancient Akan language, and two drummers, symbolizing the region's cultural richness.

The ancient Ghanaian sages transmitted their knowledge and spiritual guidance through mystic symbols known by the region's people as Adinkra. Artist Eliasu Adams tells us more about each of these signs, creating a dried calabash gourd statuette mounted in a sturdy steel stand to display the icon's enchanting aura. The symbol depicted is Gye Nyame, meaning “except for God” in the Akan language and representing divine omnipotence.

One of the most popular Adinkra symbols linked to Nyame, the god of the Akan people of Ghana, is known as Gye Nyame which means "except for God" in their language. That symbol of divine supremacy is placed on top of a traditional African mask that graces this exceptional wall hanging hand-crafted from cotton and hand-dyed with the Batik technique by artisan K. Baka.