Lloyd Foster

Artist Statement:

My name is Lloyd Foster and I am a 24-year-old Ghanaian-American photographer based in Washington, D.C.  Equipped with a 35mm film camera, I photograph a rapidly changing Washington, DC.

In February 2015, I traveled to Ghana for the first time.  Prior to traveling, my appreciation of Ghana was from a Ghanaian – American perspective. This trip was extremely important to me because I got the chance to experience the beloved country I consider my homeland for myself.

From Ghana with Love, illustrates my ancestry in Ghana, from the busy streets of Accra, the capital city, to the calmer paths of Kukurantumi, my father’s hometown.

My father and I went to Ghana for my Uncle’s funeral.  No one ever wants to meet with loved ones due to such circumstances but for me this journey home came at a good time.  A time when my interest in photography is paramount and I am mature enough to decipher the many sides of Africa despite what is often shown on TV.  I learned a great deal of my family history, the history I at times didn’t bother to ask about. As well as the history I wouldn’t understand unless seeing with my own eyes. Photography allows me to express emotions that I may not be able to express otherwise.

10 days in Ghana and 10 years since I’ve lost my best friend, my mother. In February of 2005, my mother passed away. As a child, she would always share photos and accounts of her experiences growing up in Ghana with me such as; her walks to school, playing net ball, finishing top in her class and of my grandfather whom I’ve never met. Driving through her hometown, Old Tafo, I saw many of the same things she spoke of. I felt like she was there with me. The people of that community, although I had never met them, I felt like they were my people. I felt a connection to them from my mother, from my family.

Every moment presented itself as a photograph. With only 10 days to travel I felt overwhelmed. Even two days felt like a week. Meeting family was overwhelming. Walking the same streets my parents walked was overwhelming. Seeing a mass group of individuals who looked just like me was overwhelming, and I didn’t know the next time I would return.

Family is everything. I hear that often in the States. The statement is true in Ghana as well. Family obligations have a big impact on just about every aspect of everyday life. The sense of community is extremely important in Ghana. “Akwaaba”, meaning Welcome, greets you as you enter the walkways of Kotoka International Airport in Accra and in other parts of Ghana. I finally arrived home and indeed I felt welcome.

List of Works

Pretty, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

With Love, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Anyifura, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Day 2, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Small boy, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

bo mpae, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Letsa, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Trotro, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Sunday, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Letsa, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

The Road to Accra, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Black Never Gives Up, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Untitled II, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

Untitled III, 2015. From the series From Ghana With Love. Courtesy of the artist.

May 2020. Vol nº1