Reimagining Drawing Pedagogy: A Decolonial Praxis Of Line, Form And Knowledge

This artistic research project, grounded in decolonial theory and practice-led inquiry where the creative explorations of students and the lecturer's interventions in the studio form a central mode of investigation, explores the decolonisation of drawing education as a paradigm shift within the Department of Art Education at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Ghana. It critiques the Eurocentric bases of traditional drawing pedagogy, particularly its historical emphasis on linear perspective and detached observation, by investigating alternative frameworks founded on indigenous Ghanaian knowledge systems such as Adinkra symbols, local visual cultures including textile designs, sirugu women's wall paintings, architectural motifs, and community-focused practices. The study is implemented through the aegis of the Independence Studies in Drawing course, a third-year second-semester course that encourages critical engagement with drawing history through diverse tools, materials, and concepts. This course allows students to question or examine drawing norms, transforming the classroom into a collaborative space for experimentation. This project encourages students to create self-directed drawing projects influenced by local symbols, oral traditions, embodied knowledge, and non-Western spatial logics. In the active roles of facilitator and researcher, the lecturer documents and analyses the studio processes in critical opposition to colonial visual regimes. This research seeks to enrich the ongoing discourse on decolonial art education by proposing contextually relevant strategies for reimagining drawing pedagogy in higher education at UEW and beyond, potentially offering models for culturally responsive drawing curricula and assessment methods. This initiative aims to empower students and contribute to a broader understanding of art education that is inclusive and reflective of diverse cultural identities.