Raphael Amediku

"My name is Raphael Amediku, and I was born in the Volta region of Ghana. I am very passionate about my work, I am always excited to see clay, and I am consistent in what I do and love precision.

"I became interested in this art through my family, and it serves as a bonding activity. I learned from my mother and grandmother by observing and practicing. I also read books and watch tutorials. I draw a lot of inspiration from my great-grandmothers artwork, who happened to be a pioneer of this art in my township. I mainly use clay for the pots, and for finishing, I use paints. Working with clay can be difficult, especially the digging process. I obtain clay by digging deep into the ground.

"My favorite thing about my art is its versatility. I draw inspiration from the archives of art from my great-grandparents and everyday objects. Starting on your own can be intimidating at the beginning but turns out to be full of excitement when it turns out well.

"It can be very amusing when trying to explain ceramics and art to individuals who have no experience with it and watching them struggle to reason through the process. I want to make and keep my works more exciting by experimenting with new ideas and reading up on new techniques and methods. I hope to collaborate with other artists to add new ideas and inspiration to my work.

"My craft has created lots of job opportunities in my community by employing people for tasks such as digging clay, preparing clay through crushing and mixing, firing wares, loading wares into trucks, and also attracting tourists."