From sky burials to jazz funerals, the way humans choose to honour and say “goodbye” to their dearly departed varies considerably around the world. For the Ga-Adangme ethnic group of Ghana, funerals are a chance to celebrate lost loved ones, with plenty of colour and creativity in the proceedings. As Regula Tschumi’s photos from Christian and traditional funeral ceremonies in Ghana document, there are all kinds of coffins that creatively reference the interests, passions or aspirations of the deceased — including giant pink fish, aeroplanes, diggers, tanks, lions, a crab or a blue teapot.
A photographer, scholar and anthropologist, Tschumi (who’s based in Berne, Switzerland) has been visiting Ghana for more than 20 years to learn about funeral traditions, not only the creative coffin designs but attendees’ bold, stylish attire,…
