Science Sculpting selected significant phases of Dipo rite amongst the Krobo people of Ghana

Abstract

The Dipo rite, a cornerstone of Krobo cultural identity in Ghana, profoundly encapsulates the transition of girls to womanhood through its significant phases; however, existing scholarship remains predominantly textual, critically lacking three-dimensional visual representation capable of conveying its embodied and spatial essence. Addressing this gap, this artistic research employed a studio-based design methodology to sculpturally interpret the rite’s key phases; Spiritual Bathing and Purification, Public Parading and Community Integration, Tɛkpɛtɛ Stone Ritual and Virginity Testing of Dipo-yo, Adornment and Body Art of Dipo-yo, and the Reintegration of the Dipo-yo into the Community, as practised in Somanya. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, with primary data comprising oral narratives, experiential accounts, and visual-cultural observations relating to ritual practices, symbols, materials, and performative gestures. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and visual analysis involving a homogeneous sample of twenty-four (24) stakeholders; elders, ritual practitioners, initiates, and artists, selected through convenience sampling within the community. The interview data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and systematically analysed using thematic analysis to identify recurring meanings, symbols, and ritual structures that inform the cultural logic of the Dipo rite. Through the thematic interrogation of ritual gestures, material culture, and symbolic acts, the study translated ephemeral moments, such as ritual bathing and bead adornment, into tangible sculptural forms. Indigenous and locally sourced materials, including clay, resin, and recycled glass beads, among others, were employed to embed cultural semantics and ensure material authenticity, thereby enabling a three-dimensional visual articulation of the Dipo rite’s intangible heritage. The resultant sculptures depicting the phases function as three-dimensional ethnographies, materialising transient rituals and offering a multisensory archive previously absent from Dipo documentation. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that sculptural mediation, grounded in indigenous materials and community engagement, provides an unparalleled pathway for preserving and reanimating the Dipo rite's complex embodied knowledge. The study recommend that The Chiefs and elders of Somanya should protect the Sculpted phases of Dipo rite to serve as educational and tangible cultural heritage and take steps to sculpt the remaining significant phases of dipo to have a complete representation of the rite.