Mixed media artist Emmanuel Ofori is on a mission to create beauty from what Western culture has deemed 'undesirable.' As an African American immigrant from Ghana, his art is a cathartic embrace of his African culture and a protest to Westernization in the world of art and beauty.  By working with inexpensive materials (such as plywood and broom bristles) that are traditionally hidden or deemed 'less than' in Western society, Emmanuel Ofori is able to reclaim and elevate his place in the art world. By combining African motifs, symbols, fabrics and patterns with Western imagery and ideas, Emmanuel illustrates the bridging of the gap between both worlds. The final product reclaiming, redefining, and elevating "what is gallery worthy art?" a space that has traditionally been controlled by Western gatekeepers and tastemakers.