A multiple award-winning visual artist has indicated she is embarking on a painting marathon (paint-a-thon) for Guinness World Records (GWR) glory.

Sharon Dede Padi’s masterpieces hang in hotels all over Ghana.

Ms Padi is pursuing a PhD in Museum and Heritage Studies at Ghana’s premiere tertiary institution, University of Ghana (UG), Legon.

The CEO of Padiki Art Gallery aims to paint for a week between March 15 and 21, 2024, at the Ghana Village, opposite the UG, Legon stadium.

On the eve of her adventure, Ms Padi will hold a press conference, which will be broadcast on LifeStyle (LS) TV. 

According to GWR, applications for the paint-a-thon record title “will only be accepted if the applicant is 16 years of age or over.

“The longest painting marathon is 100 hours, and was achieved by Chancellor Ahaghotu (Nigeria), in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from 26 to 30 October 2023.”

Read Sharon D. Padi’s essay on herself below:

I am Sharon Dede Padi, a specialist in the field of construction and project management, an artist and the CEO of the Padiki Art Gallery as well.

My educational journey has been an interesting one from it’s beginning to it’s current status. I had my elementary education at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana Primary School at Tafo in the Eastern Region of Ghana and then proceeded to the Krobo Girls Senior High School and the Aburi Girls Senior High School all in the Eastern Region of Ghana as well. From there, I pursued a degree in Bsc. Architecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University.of Science and Technology at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and then moved to the United Kingdom where I gained a Masters in Construction and Project Management at the London Southbank University. Currently in my academic endeavors, I am enrolled in the University of Ghana for a PhD in Museum and Heritage Studies.

I have worked as a construction project manager at various institutions for some years. I gained my first employment as a project manager at Prodesign Limited and then moved after a year and a half to the State Housing Company. After a six month trial period at the State Housing Company, I gained employment again at Walltech Ghana Limited and finally moved to Akuaba Estates where I spent my last two years as an active project manager .

I began my journey of art at a very tender age. Beginning with just doodles, I have climbed up the artistic ladder and now produce intricate works of art with my brushstrokes.

I enjoyed creating drawings and paintings as a child. I made these as means of expressing what I thought and felt and also enjoyed giving them to my family and friends. Even at such a young age,  my simple works managed to draw looks of admiration from the adults and children who saw them.

The idea of publicizing my works was gradually fed to me by my family and friends. The more I painted, the more I produced a work of art better than the previous one and my family and friends suggested that I did not keep those beauties behind doors. They nudged and urged me on and finally the idea for a gallery began to form. This idea finally came to life and the Padiki Art Gallery was launched in December 2022.

My works can be found in various hotels in Ghana. Over the years, I have had several of my works hung up in various luxury hotels across the country. There are 1480 pieces of artwork at the Rock City Hotel at Nkwatia in the Eastern Region of Ghana, 50 of them at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra and another 50 pieces at the Open Havens Air BnB at Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

Pieces of my work are also on display at several museums and galleries across Ghana. I have some of my artwork present at Ghana’s National Museum in the heart of Accra, the Hedzranawo Slavery museum which was recently debuted in the Volta Region of Ghana and a wall size painting being exhibited on the grounds of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park also located in Accra. Aside these, my works are also on display and sale in the showrooms of my very own Padiki Art Gallery, the Artists Alliance Gallery both located on the Labadi stretch in Accra and the Aburi Craft Village in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

I have also had the opportunities to exhibit my artworks at various fairs and exhibition programmes in Ghana. My works have been displayed at the Citi FM fair, the Chalewote Street Art Festival, the December in Ghana: Beyond the Return fair, the Chocolate City fair, the Ahaspora fair, the Black our History week fair, the Kaba and Slit fair and the Sound Out exhibition. I also hold exhibitions at the African Regent Hotel intermittently.

I have participated in the panel discussions of the Black Our History month, the Guinness World Record attempt by Ace Liam and that of the Extraordinary Women’s Conference as well.

I have been a part of the sponsorship of various pageants and talent shows in Ghana. I have participated in the sponsorship of the Miss Teen Tourism pageant, The Miss Akwaaba pageant,The Next Gospel Singer and The Amazing Child talent shows. I have also played a part in the sponsoring of some prestigious award programmes in the country; the Service Excellence Awards, Ghana Tourism Awards and The Ghana Hotel Association Awards.

As the CEO of the Padiki Art Gallery, I have won the following awards: the award for Africa’s Most Respected CEO in Art which was held at Mauritius and the award for the Most Outstanding Female in Art in Ghana.

I currently wrote my first book, Reflexions. I published and launched the 216 paged volume in June 2023. It consists of a 100 poems about my paintings with corresponding illustrations.

I also enjoy engaging in personal charity activities. From time to time I visit the Adabraka Polyclinic in Adabraka, Accra with bed sheets, detergents and other items needed by the hospital. I also visit the Akwatiakwa Village, a remote village in the Eastern Region of Ghana, with clothes and food twice every year.

I am currently working in the Accra Technical University as an Assistant Development Officer.