Urban Twins: A duo passionate about art

Twins often share an intense bond. For Sandra and Cindy Amoah, an unparalleled passion for art further strengthens this bond aside from their matching outfits and accessories and identical looks. 

 The twins told The Mirror in an interview on Wednesday in Accra that their artistic desire was heightened during their teenage years. Cindy, popularly referred to as Ama Guy Guy, said she couldn’t figure out when exactly she discovered her passion for art. 

“As a child, I loved art, so at the senior high school, I got the opportunity to study Visual Arts. After school, I didn’t want to divert. Thankfully, I got the opportunity to work with Ashiru Art Company at Shiashie in Accra and that greatly shaped me as an artist. “ I have been doing this since I was 16,” she said.    

A room design art by Ms Cindy Amoah   Cindy said she was excited she had turned her passion into a career. She is currently studying fashion and designing at the Accra Technical University, another form of art which involves an artistic creation of clothing and other lifestyle accessories.    

“I am the only Visual Art student from my school who is pursuing art at the tertiary level by blending fashion with art. You need to be artistic to create clothes,” she stated.  

Her sister, Sandra, also known as Ama Chase, said although she took a different career path by studying science at  the SHS level, she eventually reclaimed her artistic passion.   After completing SHS, she joined her sister to work at the same art company. “After SHS, I was at home when my sister began working. She will come home and give me vivid descriptions of the artwork, so that refuelled my passion and I joined her. My sister taught me so many things and I am so much grateful to her.

Since I had the passion already it wasn’t difficult. Telling a story with paint on canvas is such a terrific experience,” she said.

Sandra  is also studying at the Accra Technical University to become a laboratory technologist but intends to juggle the two careers in future.   Ms Sandra Amoah painting a village scene Future plans The two who operate with the brand name Urban

Twins  say they  draw  inspiration from nature. They described themselves as versatile artists who excel at material paintings and mixed media art, a visual art form which combines a variety of media in one artwork such as collage, mosaic, room painting  and designs among others. The twins are nocturnal artists who love to work mostly at night. According to them, they draw inspiration from the peaceful atmosphere during late hours. 

Explaining that they concentrate better and there are no interruptions while working on their artistic pieces at that time. “We have gotten some big contracts that earned us some dollars. Sometimes we are amazed when people say they don’t know their talent. We believe everyone has a talent and all you have to do is to discover what you are good at. Two years ago, we painted a school and people couldn’t believe it was done, by us,” they added.  

The duo paid glowing tribute to their boss, Mr Ashiru Saheed, for his mentorship, training and the opportunity.

They have also collaborated with a social media influencer on snapchat, Tell it by Sheeba and have formed a painting club for persons who love art. They currently meet at an ice-cream shop at East Legon in Accra.  

According to them, it has not been easy juggling academic work and art.

“It is very challenging combining the two.

On extremely difficult days, it is our love for art that keeps us going, we experience gender stereotyping all the time, with comments such as: why do you ladies want to dabble in art?  How are you able to paint with your long nails? but once we love what we do , we are not distracted,” they  explained.  

Aside from the artworks, the duo are photo models, and have used their brand to promote a number of commercial products and services.

They are dancers, choreographers, do decor at events and work as swimming instructors at the Tesano Sports Club in Accra.   The Urban Twins also offer painting lessons and materials at subsidised fees for persons who want to learn how to paint.

“We intend to open an art gallery to display our artwork. We are also hoping to have our own studio. It is our hope that our work would also be displayed in art galleries across the world,” they stated.  

An artistic piece by the duo.

The duo intend to tour some senior high schools to inspire young girls who want to do art.  

Support The twins described the love from family and friends as phenomenal.  

“Our family and friends have been very supportive, my dad, Mr John Amoah and mum, Mrs Getrude Amarteifio, as well as our three sisters have been very instrumental in our success. Our dad has this Kia Truck and sometimes, he assists us in transporting our artwork to our clients. Some loved ones also get us matching outfits in town, and we are grateful to them for their kind gesture. 

The two said being born  twins is a blessing as they delegate tasks when their schedules are tight.  

“If there is a contract and we both can’t go, one takes it upon herself and it helps immensely. We enjoy working together and supervising each other. While working, we make certain suggestions and inputs which when incorporated in the piece brings out more life in the work. Working together and supervising each other’s work is enjoyable and results in a quality output,” they said.