Abrammoɔ – (plural, mmrammoɔ) These are brass weights developed by Akan merchants to measure gold dust, the currency used from the 15th – 19th century. These weights were cast in different shapes, with some influenced by Akan proverbs.
My name is Mansa, and I am a writer and designer. I am the founder of Studio Mansa, a multidisciplinary design studio where we craft innovative and purposeful products and learning spaces for children. I am excited to share the beginning of essays fueled by my life, career, and experiences.
Mmrammoɔ are prized artefacts that transcend times and seasons, and I hope my essays and products exhibit that kind of timelessness and cultural relevance.
The career path I dreamed of as a child was straightforward – I would lecture in English Literature and write stories part-time. I started that way; with an undergraduate degree in English. While studying for an MPhil in English, I started a gift business, my first attempt at entrepreneurship. I gravitated towards curating activity boxes for children. I was, however, concerned about the lack of creative African and Ghanaian-themed educational resources. I worked with an illustrator to create the basics for early years – Letters of the Alphabet, Colours, Shapes, Fruits & Vegetables posters and the like. There was a plethora of work to be done and it would begin with research.
I love research – the art of taking something apart, examining elements that interest you and allowing them to take you on a journey is something that still blows my mind. Research gave me different tools to explore, and I began to think of what it would mean to create books that were an amalgamation of all the things
I loved — architecture, design, food, history, and sustainability. The possibilities, I would come to discover, were endless. By the end of my MPhil programme, my plans had changed. I moved into a new industry, started a new role and segued into product management.
When I reflect on my decade-long career, I marvel at how stepping out of my planned path enriched my journey. I have pivoted as a writer. While my focus was initially short stories for adults, I have also crafted a space for myself in children’s literature. I managed and served as lead author for the SDG Changemakers Series, a collection featuring seventeen children’s books on diverse SDGs, out of which I wrote twelve and co-wrote one. I created Sutherland, a children’s literature-based programme designed to provide a holistic and engaging learning experience through architecture, design, engineering, fashion, food, and photography. These experiences have influenced how I look at and write my short stories. I feel blessed to waltz between the things I am deeply passionate about.
My essays cover a myriad of topics. I am intentional about preserving Ghanaian culture; you will see this in my writing and in the products I design. I have made it my mission to create the highest quality of art through my work.
It is a privilege to get to create for children during the foundational years of their lives. I want to raise children who are curious and knowledgeable about themselves and their context. Children who think critically and aren’t just consumers, but producers. Children with depth and an understanding of craftsmanship. Tastemakers. Solutionists. Disruptors. Doers. Planners. Builders. Shapers of Knowledge and Culture.
Starting Studio Mansa, creating Sutherland, and writing about my experiences are collectively one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever pursued. There was so much I realised I didn’t know (and still don’t), and some of the things I found out made me love and appreciate my roots. Here’s to walking down unfamiliar paths, here’s to discovering things which take us home, and here’s to taking all the things we love and building them into a timeless, unshakeable force.
Our heritage has a lot to teach us, our heritage has a lot to say
"Tete wo bi kyerɛ, tete wo bi ka"