By painting my figures in blue, I step outside the limits of skin and ask viewers to meet them as human first. My work is about unity—not as an idea, but as something fragile and shared, like standing together under the same shelter.
Samuel Oseigyei Kumah (b. 1988, Nima, Accra, Ghana) is a contemporary painter whose work explores themes of unity, shared humanity, and social harmony. He lives and works in Accra.
Raised in Nima, a vibrant cultural and creative center, Kumah discovered his artistic talent at an early age. Despite initial family reservations about pursuing art as a profession, he persisted with the encouragement of his grandmother, whose support proved formative. He trained informally under several master artists before enrolling at the Ghanatta College of Arts and Design, where he refined his technical approach.
In 2012, Kumah began his full-time artistic practice under the name Big Sam Arts. His work is distinguished by the use of blue-toned figures, a deliberate chromatic choice that transcends conventional representations of skin color. Through this visual strategy, Kumah addresses issues of racism, discrimination, bias, and injustice, emphasizing common humanity over difference.
His paintings often depict solitary figures or intimate pairings within restrained compositions, using recurring motifs—such as umbrellas—as symbols of protection, unity, and shared vulnerability. Through clarity of form and emotional restraint, Kumah’s practice advocates equality not as abstraction, but as lived experience.