Alex Awuku

Alex Awuku, an MFA student at the University of Florida, had accomplished a great deal prior to arriving in Gainesville. He received his undergraduate degree in ceramics from the premier art school in Ghana, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. Since 2012 Awuku has been a high school art teacher. He is a founder and proprietor of an industrial ceramics business that employs twelve people in making ceramic bricks, tiles and vessels. He is a prolific creator of expressive and deeply meaningful ceramic sculptures that have been featured in multiple exhibitions and publications. Awuku's ambition as an artist led him to take leave from his teaching position and endure separation from his family to pursue graduate studies and explore resources and materials available in this country. During his time at UF, Awuku has produced a large body of works ranging from small-scale to monumental. The conceptual foundation for his works lies in his experience as a Ghanaian, an immigrant to the US, and a person of deep spirituality. Themes explored in his sculptures include religious intolerance, societal gender roles, the experience of immigrants, and the resilience of the human spirit. The works in this exhibition belong to a new series inspired by Ghanaian folktales about Ananse the spider, whose knowledge and insights into the human condition are, Awuku fears, at risk of being lost in the digital age. The artist brings each story powerfully to life through his compelling imagery and accompanying narratives.