On a quiet Saturday evening, long after campus life slows down, the studios at KNUST's Department of Painting and Sculpture are just getting started. For students like Lawrence Obour, it's not rest, but revelation.

It’s Saturday, July 5 at 9:00 p.m., and third-year Sculpture student Lawrence Obour is right where he thrives. He’s deep in the zone, with a black nose mask strapped on and a scarf tied around his head.

He moves between sandpaper, brush, and drill mill, meticulously refining a resin sculpture of a poised African woman.

Adorned with bracelets, cowries, and a necklace bearing the Adinkra Gye Nyame symbol, the figure is part of a commissioned series of three. These sculptures will be stationed at the entrances and exits of a park, each one balancing basket and clad in modern fabric with tasteful body exposure.

“Carrying something on the head is purely African,” Lawrence explains. “And we decided to give it a modern cloth.”

He’s not alone in the studio. MPhil Sculpture student Gracious Eleagbe and fellow third-year Nuhad work beside him. It’s an impromptu night shift powered by passion.

“It’s a collaborative process,” says Eleagbe. “We learn from each other, and just being present makes all the difference.”

Though such commissions are rare and often overlap with academic deadlines, Lawrence has learned to navigate the balancing act.

“Every now and then, you land a big project that keeps you going. Commissions come with deadlines, and if a client can’t wait, sometimes you just have to let it go. We’re students first.”

While many still gravitate toward wood for sculpture, Lawrence believes resin holds the future, especially for outdoor installations.

“Wood deteriorates over time. But this material behaves like rubber and it can stay outdoors longer. We now finish with auto-based paint, which holds up against weather.”