Wall Painting

David Zukas  "Kulungugu House Painters 2"   

David Zukas (b. 1970) is a contemporary artist based in New York. He painted this scene from a photograph he took when he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana. Zukas comments, "Only women are allowed to paint the traditional designs on the mud brick houses in the north of Ghana... they made an exception in my case and I got the privilege of painting a portion. As with all African art it is beautiful but [wall painting] is also utilitarian because the cow dung/mud mixture being applied protects the structure from the harsh rains."

Zukas currently lives on Staten Island, in New York City, but has traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Caribbean. He has spent more than a decade exploring and studying the regions of this world most affected by the African Diaspora, from its origins in West Africa to final destinations in the Americas such as Haiti. The people of Africa are a predominant theme in the artist's work. Zukas' website can be seen here.