In Ghana, what you do defines you in life... and death

Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Phoebe Parke and Florence Obondo for CNN

Updated 1752 GMT (0152 HKT) January 3, 2015

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

This hen coffin was created by Ghana-based designer Kudjoe Affutu who has been in the business since 2007.

Photos: Arrive in the afterlife in style

The colorful, creative caskets of Ghana's dead – This hen coffin was created by Ghana-based designer Kudjoe Affutu who has been in the business since 2007.

Hide Caption

1 of 11

Based in Awutu, a small town in Ghana's central region, self-taught carpenter Kudjoe Affutu has made a name for himself with his eye-catching style of coffins.

Photos: Arrive in the afterlife in style

The colorful, creative caskets of Ghana's dead – Based in Awutu, a small town in Ghana's central region, self-taught carpenter Kudjoe Affutu has made a name for himself with his eye-catching style of coffins.

Hide Caption

2 of 11

Many of the coffins reflect the professions of the deceased, such as a hen for a farmer, a boat for a fisherman, or a sewing machine for a designer.

Photos: Arrive in the afterlife in style

The colorful, creative caskets of Ghana's dead – Many of the coffins reflect the professions of the deceased, such as a hen for a farmer, a boat for a fisherman, or a sewing machine for a designer.

Hide Caption

3 of 11

This Ghanaian bus coffin is one of the many elaborate creations Affutu and his artisans have built over the years.

Photos: Arrive in the afterlife in style

The colorful, creative caskets of Ghana's dead – This Ghanaian bus coffin is one of the many elaborate creations Affutu and his artisans have built over the years.

Hide Caption

4 of 11