“If you hear a voice within you saying, ‘You are not a painter,’ then by all means paint, boy, and that voice will be silenced.” ~ Vincent van Gogh

 

Richard Mensah is a UK-based artist whose work spans multiple media. With no formal art or painting education, he describes himself as a born artist — someone for whom creativity has always come naturally. His love for drawing, sketching, and painting first emerged in his early years in Ghana, where teachers and family quickly noticed his gift. Yet, despite this unmistakable talent, he was encouraged to follow a more traditional academic path. Richard went on to study science in secondary school and later earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

In the early 2000s he moved to the United Kingdom, pursuing postgraduate studies in Environmental Pollution and Control. He then built a successful career working as an Environmental Scientist, Engineer, and Consultant. During this period, art quietly slipped into the background, and Richard took an unexpected 15-year break from creating. That pause ended in 2016 when his mother challenged him to see whether he could still paint. Accepting the challenge, he produced his first serious piece in over a decade — a work that stunned everyone around him and reignited a passion he had never truly lost. From that moment, he returned to painting with purpose and has continued ever since, participating in exhibitions and taking on commissions for private collectors.

Richard’s artistic style is deeply intuitive. He often begins a painting before the idea is fully formed, trusting his instincts to guide the work into existence. Preparation is minimal; instead, he allows the process to unfold naturally, believing firmly that with patience, every painting finds its way to a beautiful finish. His inspiration draws from his African heritage, childhood memories, and the simple poetry of everyday life.

Themes of social justice, human rights, colour, nature, and human experience run strongly through his work. He is drawn to shapes, movement, shade, and light, capturing them through vivid, bold colours and an expressive blend of abstraction and realism. Richard does not limit himself — he creates as inspired, allowing each piece to evolve freely and truthfully.

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