Samuel Akainyah was born in Ghana, West Africa. His father was The Late, His Lordship, Alfred Augustus Akainyah, a distinguished Jurist of The Supreme Court of Ghana, also a formidable legal scholar. Of equal note is his mother, Madam Sabina Yorke, a Superintendent of The Ghanaian Ministry of Education. He is also a maternal nephew of the late President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Akainyah grew up under the elite family name with a string of thirteen siblings who are part of the Ghanaian professional and aristocratic class; Bankers, Professors, Judges and Lawyers, Business Executives, Doctors and Diplomats. No one had an affinity for the arts except Samuel.

He attended The British model Boarding Schools in Ghana where he received formal training in the arts and music. His education was however interrupted by a series of military coups during his years as an undergraduate at The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. An invitation from an American family – Mr. David and Mrs. Jean Mullins (now of blessed memory) brought the young Akainyah to America’s premier university of the arts – The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. Here, he trained in Art History, Cultural Anthropology and Painting. He also did graduate work in Diplomatic History and International Law at The Graduate Committee on International Relations at The University of Chicago.

“Chicago’s 50 Most Influential Blacks.” The list included Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Oprah Winfrey, President Barack Obama and John H. Johnson. He was the first African who was profiled in “The History Makers” Archives. He was one of the few artists (nationwide) selected by The U.S. Government’s State Department Global Program/Art in Embassies. His works were stationed at The Diplomatic Post of the Ambassador in Rome, Italy. He was a recipient of The Delores Jordan Humanitarian Award for The Gene Siskel Film Center. He was the Official Artist for the BMW-7 Series. Akainyah’ s client list includes Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Jordan, Angelas Basset, Maya Angelou, Lord Denning, Muhammad Ali, His Excellency President John Kufour and President Akuffo Addo. His Corporate clients have cemented his career.