Chrystabel Brittany

Christabel Dzandu, known artistically as Chrystabel Brittany, is a Ghanaian abstract artist whose practice explores identity and the unrealistic standards shaped by society. Her work transforms personal and collective experiences into expressive visual narratives, using abstraction to translate emotion, memory and movement. She reflects on how people evolve through change and self-discovery, creating layered compositions that consider the relationship between self-perception and social expectation. As her practice expands, Chrystabel continues to explore themes of authenticity and transformation, inviting viewers to look beyond imposed standards.

The Neoteric: How do you negotiate the line between personal truth and collective experience when creating these visual narratives, and what compels you to use abstraction as the language for this negotiation?

Chrystabel: I use abstraction because it is the way I can express myself most honestly. It allows me to show emotions and memories without feeling limited. Abstract forms give me freedom to imagine, to feel, and to tell stories in my own way. When I paint, I mix my personal experiences with the stories and moments I see in other women’s lives. Sometimes I even try to place myself inside their experiences, or imagine what it would feel like. Abstraction helps me understand these stories and turn them into art. It fuels my imagination and creativity, and it allows me to question society’s unrealistic standards without being restricted by realistic images. Through abstract shapes and colors, I can express feelings that are difficult to say out loud, in a way that feels real, personal, and true.

The Neoteric: How do you envision abstraction functioning as a tool of resistance against external expectations, and what have you learned about authenticity through this process?

Chrystabel: True Beauty comes from my personal experience. Growing up, people close to me often questioned my appearance, and in my community many women bleached their skin to feel beautiful. Abstraction allows me to resist these expectations by focusing on feeling and essence rather than appearance. Through this process, I’ve learned that authenticity comes from embracing who we are, not trying to fit changing standards, and that true self-love grows when we celebrate our natural selves without comparison.

The Neoteric: In She Wears Her Ancestors, you describe creativity as a gift passed down through generations. Could you speak about how ancestral memory shapes your creative process? Do you see your art as a continuation of a lineage, and if so, how do you consciously weave that legacy into your compositions?

Chrystabel: Yes, I see my creativity as part of a lineage. I come from a family of creatives. My grandma was a tailor for the military, and I have relatives in photography and architecture. I believe my artistic talents have been passed down through generations, carrying not just skill but also a sense of purpose: to create, to explore, and to inspire. Ancestral memory shapes my work by grounding me in this history, and I consciously weave that legacy into my compositions through storytelling, motifs, and the care I take in honoring the paths that came before me.

The Neoteric: Back to the Roots uses Black hair as a symbol of dignity, resilience, and self-acceptance. What role do cultural symbols—especially within Ghanaian and broader Black diasporic contexts—play in constructing the visual language of your work? And why is hair such a powerful archive of identity for you?

Chrystabel: Hair has always been a form of expression and resistance. In Ghanaian and broader black diasporic cultures, dreadlocks carry deep spiritual and historical meaning, symbolizing strength, dignity, connection to ancestry, and personal growth. Today, societal stereotypes often misrepresent these styles; in Ghana, people with dreadlocks are sometimes unfairly seen as rascals or criminals. By using hair in my work, I reclaim these cultural symbols and make them central to my visual language, showing how they serve as archives of identity, resilience, growth, and self-acceptance.

The Neoteric: In The Woman Beneath the Kimono, you reimagine the geisha as an African woman and challenge the exoticization historically attached to that figure. What does cultural reimagining mean to you, and how do you approach the responsibility of bridging or intersecting cultures without erasing their complexities?

Chrystabel: For me, cultural reimagining means approaching another culture with respect and care while honoring its complexity. I aim to bridge cultures without erasing their histories or nuances, using art to explore shared human experiences and celebrate each culture’s identity.

The Neoteric: Your painting Abrewatia, A Legacy in Colour, inspired by your grandmother, honors women who are “living legacies.” How has your personal experience with matriarchs in your family shaped your understanding of leadership and artistic purpose? And how does this influence how you imagine women’s futures?

Chrystabel: Abrewatia, A Legacy in Colours is inspired by my grandmother and the strong women in my community. Growing up with her, I learned that leadership is about strength, determination, and inspiring others through action. Her example showed me that women hold immense potential beyond society’s expectations. This understanding shapes my artistic purpose. I create work that honors women’s stories, strength, and influence—and it shapes how I imagine women’s futures: confident, bold, and empowered to create meaningful change.

The Neoteric: How do you capture moments of transformation— symbolically—within your layered compositions? Are there particular artistic decisions (color, texture, form) that help you communicate those shifts?

Chrystabel: I show moments of transformation in my work through the way I use color, texture, and the expressive details of each character. The calm faces against bold, bright backgrounds reflect how change often happens quietly on the inside, even when the world around us feels intense. I also layer different patterns, hairstyles, and cultural symbols to show how people grow, learn, and carry their history with them. These choices help me show that transformation is not sudden, it’s a gradual process that shapes who we become.

The Neoteric: Looking ahead, how do you imagine your
practice evolving? What themes or questions do you feel compelled to explore next as you continue to think about identity, memory, and cultural storytelling in a rapidly changing world?

Chrystabel: Looking ahead, I see my practice growing into deeper explorations of identity, memory, and culture. I’m very interested in cultures beyond Ghana, and I want to bring more of those influences into my work. At the same time, I feel called to explore my own roots as a Ghanaian from the Volta region and see how elements from “the mother” can shape my visual language. I’m also excited to experiment with new techniques like punch needle to add more depth and texture to my pieces. Identity has always been at the center of my practice, and moving forward, I’m simply looking forward to discovering more of myself through the evolution of my art.

The Neoteric: Could you share a personal moment—either joyful or painful—that fundamentally shifted how you see yourself, and in turn, transformed your artistic direction?

Chrystabel: In the early stages of my practice, a very close friend told me that my art lacked skill and looked “childish.” That comment stayed with me for months and made me question my ability and vision as an artist. Then, someone named Peter came across one of my pieces, Hail Mary, inspired by my grandmother and my relationship with the church. He immediately connected with it, resonating with the emotions I had poured into the work, and reached out to encourage me. That moment was transformative. For the first time, someone saw the potential in my art the way I did, giving me the confidence to take my practice seriously. From then on, I dedicated myself to refining my techniques and exploring new ways to visually express my ideas, all while preserving the unique flair that makes my work distinctly mine.

The Neoteric: What conversations do you hope your work sparks within communities, especially among young African women navigating identity today? And how do you see art functioning as a catalyst for that collective unlearning?

Chrystabel: As a woman, I see the strength and potential we carry, and I know we don’t need to fit into the boxes society sets for us. African women, especially, face many expectations about who we should be. Through my work, I hope to spark conversations that help us question these limits, discover our true identities, and free ourselves from self-doubt and self-sabotage. Art can guide this unlearning because it lets us feel and see experiences in ways words alone cannot. Through my paintings, I want to create space for reflection, dialogue, and the courage to be fully ourselves.

(c) 2026