INTENTIONAL CO-CREATION & CULTURAL CREATIVITY
Each Aketekete piece is a result of collaborations among over 70 artisans from all around Ghana. With our partners, we decide to create modern objects through traditional and ancestral techniques while maintaining the most sustainable, responsible, and ethical production possible.
All our pieces are imbued with the cultures, places, and stories our artisans’ partners wish to tell.
Aketekete works to connect local artisans with customers who appreciate the principles of true collaboration and co-creation, allowing space for regrowth and working in harmony with natural seasons, cultural diversity, and the incredible human that bring our products into existence.
Our wish at Aketekete is truly to celebrate our artisan partners and their craft.
OUR PARTNERS
-
Aketekete partners closely with goldsmiths and jewelry makers to create the gold-plated brass details of all our jewelry. From the medal of our necklace to our earrings hoops, all the pieces are handcrafted, combining traditional and new techniques to create what we desire.
Materials
Our pieces are carefully made of 24K gold plated brass, sterling silver, or brass, depending on the design. All the metals come from recycled jewelry that we buy from reliable local suppliers.
-
· 4 goldsmiths, 3 gold plating technicians
· Based in Accra -
· Support and train jewelry makers and or goldsmiths to reach more sustainable and efficient processes.
-
Aketekete collaborates with family-owned businesses that have been passing down the bead-making tradition throughout generations to produce exclusive and difficult-to-find beads. Our team also spends hours at Ghanaian markets each week sourcing new unique beads and finding inspiration for new ideas.
Materials
Our pieces feature recycled glass beads made in collaboration with artisans and sourced beads from markets.
Learn more about beads here. -
· Family owned business: working directly with 9 artisans.
· Based in Dodowa and Somanya.
· Indirectly supporting local economy sourcing from 5 bead dealers in Accra monthly. -
· Assist with promoting recycled glass beads to increase demand and regrow family business.
-
Handwoven within these baskets are generations of knowledge, technique, and cultural exchanges. These highly detailed baskets involve an intricate weaving process that takes up from 3 to 10 days to complete. It requires different handcrafted processes where the straw is twisted, dyed, and woven. For this reason, each basket will be unique with the fingerprint of our artisan.
We base our production in different communities in Sumbrungu, Yikene, Zaare, and Gambibigo where they’re mostly women working with us. Diving the groups we give a chance to different artisans to design their creations but also allow them to weave the style and shape of the baskets they feel more comfortable with and improve their skills.Material
All our baskets are made with the known natural fiber called locally ‘straw’ or veta vera grass farmed in Ghana which has an elastic & soft feeling that when it’s wet allows us to shape it as we desire.
Learn more about baskets here. -
· 43 weavers
· Based in Sumbrungu, Yiekene, Zaare and Gambibigo -
· As part of one of our main goals, Aketekete is in an ongoing process of improving the dying system in collaboration with artisans and dyers. Reusing water, and using traditional techniques and local natural dyes or plant-safe dyes are some of the practices we are currently working on.
· Construct a Weaving and Training Center: have a safe and healthy working space where our basket weavers can work and collaborate. We aim to have a fully constructed and finished space by the end of 2024.
Learn more about weaving here.
-
Aketekete decided to partner and co-create with local dyers to design one-of-a-kind fabrics using handmade ancestral techniques such as Batik and Tie and Dye.
Both well known internationally as handmade dying techniques, Aketekete partners are based in Accra and its surroundings. Mostly owned by small family businesses that have been passing down the techniques and traditions to younger generations.
Material
Following our goals of being as much environmentally responsible as possible, we choose to source over-stock or old curtains and bedsheets to create our fabrics. Cotton or linen are some of the natural materials we decided to work with to create the linings, removable handle cloth, or others.
Tailoring
Any kind of fabric on the Aketekete’s pieces such as linings, handle cloth, jewelry purses,… are sewn by our co-worker Salomey in Accra. -
· 7 dyers
· Based in Accra and Ashiaman -
· As part of one of our main goals, Aketekete is in an ongoing process of improving the dying system in collaboration with artisans and dyers. Reusing water, using traditional techniques and local natural dyes or plant-safe dyes are some of the practices we are currently working on.
“We must use our platform to showcase high-quality designs in order to improve artisans’ economic life while also remaining sensitive to the value of their pieces, encouraging them to sustain their craft.”
THE TEAM
At Aketekete we strive to have a team between Accra and Barcelona driven by the interest in craft and impactful work. Our team enriches Aketekete with its diversity of skills, knowledge, and studies.
Our team supports the artisan’s community growth and development by working closely with the artisans, focusing on creating quality and unique pieces that are created responsibly. Modern raw objects have their final assembling of pieces and quality control at our small office in Accra.
The HQ Team works full-time on the growth and development of Aketekete to be able to create a better economic impact on the communities we partner with by expanding our knowledge of sustainable and ethical processes.
-
Maria Bernat Astorga
FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Maria is a multifaceted and business-oriented creative who is skilled in design and visual storytelling. Graduated in Fashion Design in Barcelona and over four years of experience in slow fashion and international business.
Learn more here. -
Joseph Ankobiah
BUSINESS DEVELOPER AND PRODUCTION MANAGER
An experienced project manager with a unique blend of technical and managerial skills. His special interest in art and design fuels his creative and innovative mindset for refining our production and operational processes.
Learn more here.
