Behind The Wall: A Mural In Kumasi Is Asking Hard Questions

Not because it insults anyone.
Not because it supports any political party.
But it shows something uncomfortable.

The mural, titled Behind The Wall, was created by street artist OriginalBigwig in collaboration with Village Voice GH. It shows a public official sitting calmly, focused on a mobile phone, while the environment around him reflects poor sanitation and urban neglect.

The location matters.

The wall stands in a space where waste builds up. Where the smell tells its own story, it’s also a place where marginalized people rest and beg — including foreigners, people with disabilities, and individuals struggling with mental health issues.

This is not a staged background.

It’s real life.

The mural doesn’t shout. It doesn’t use insults. It doesn’t name names. Instead, it creates a strong contrast — digital focus versus physical reality.

In simple terms, it asks:

Are we paying more attention to how leadership looks online than how it feels on the ground?

Since the mural went up, reactions have been mixed. Some people call it bold. Others say it’s disrespectful. Some even assume it was sponsored by an opposition political party.

The artist has denied that clearly.

“This work was not funded or commissioned by any political party,” he says. “It’s independent.”

And that’s important.

In today’s political climate, any criticism is quickly labeled as opposition. But questioning leadership is not the same as campaigning against it.

The mural isn’t about one person. It’s about a pattern. A culture where image sometimes moves faster than infrastructure.

Roads don’t fix themselves through social media posts.
Sanitation doesn’t improve through online applause.
Marginalized people don’t disappear because we scroll past them.

That’s the tension the mural captures.

Behind the photo ops.
Behind the posts.
Behind the digital presence.

There’s a wall. And behind that wall, there’s reality.

Love it or hate it, one thing is clear:

People are talking.

And maybe that’s the point.

Follow Originalbigwig Artist on social media platforms via

Instagram: @originalbigwig artist

Twitter: @originalbigwig