Alex Awuku, an alumnus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) has launched a spider-themed ceramics exhibit at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
Like many Ghanaians, Awuku sought the opportunity to study in the United States to enhance his skills and knowledge. His goal is to return to Ghana and apply what he has learnt to support and develop his community.
“We all have the dream in Ghana to come to America,” he said. “I thought of upgrading my knowledge and skills, so that I can go back and give to the community.”
Each artwork is brown and shaped like Ananse the spider. To match the stories, Awuku added items like cords and keyboard keys to show the link between traditional Ghanaian culture and today’s modern world. Two colourful spider pieces occupy an entire wall, positioned in the centre, with an outstretched web made of rope. They were bordered by computer mice that seemed to be encroaching on the colourful spider.
Awuku said he chose ceramics for this project because it was his medium back home in Ghana, and he feels connected to the clay because he used to have to process it from scratch. “I feel sick if I go one day without working with ceramics in the studio,” he said.
Awuku wanted to convey the depth of Ananse’s character in Ghana to his American audience. “Ananse is often viewed as a trickster, but he has a complex nature and ambiguity in his character,” he said.
Caitlin Field, a 26-year-old University of Florida archaeology doctoral student, said she liked how the exhibit was put together.
“I think the use of these sorts of traditional folkloric motifs was really powerful,” she said. “I use folklore a lot in my research, and so seeing that applied in another field is really interesting.”
The exhibit was also impactful to Maria Arrieta, a 47-year-old UF fine arts graduate student.
“I’m from Lima, Peru, and so it is very interesting for me,” she said. “It inspired me, how he talks about tradition and merging the topics of that and technology.”
Rebecca Nagy, a former director of the Harn Museum of Art, was a guest curator for Awuku’s exhibit. She fell in love with his work when she saw it at a student gallery on campus.
Nagy emphasised that although technology is helpful, people shouldn’t lose sight of the wisdom found in traditional stories and practices.
“We’re always wedded to our devices,” she said, “and we are not engaging in the kind of old-fashioned storytelling where one generation talks to the next generation and relays the stories about what they have learned about life.”
This article was adapted from a story titled “Ghanaian student artist debuts a spidery ceramics exhibit near downtown Gainesville: Alex Awuku brought a childhood folktale to life in the Cotton Club Museum with clay and cables,” by Tess Lippincott.
