Biography
Japheth Asiedu-Kwarteng is an Artist, working primarily in ceramics and mixed media. He holds a BA Industrial Art (Ceramics option) from KNUST, Ghana, and an MFA in Ceramics from Illinois State University, USA.
Japheth is a member of International Academy of Ceramics, Artaxis and National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). He has exhibited his works extensively in Ghana and the United States including 2022 and 2021 NCECA Annual and Multicultural Fellowship exhibitions. His works have been exhibited in Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento CA, Blue Line Arts, Roseville CA, Weston Art Gallery, Cincinnati OH, DAAP Galleries, Cincinnati OH, University Galleries, Normal IL, Taylor Gallery, Newark DE, Grizzly Grizzly, Philadelphia PA, Rachel Cooper Gallery, Normal IL, Ahoↄden! held at Jamestown Café, Accra, Ghana. Japheth has several publications, lectures and presentations to his credit including presenting Ghanaian Ceramics Now: Ahoↄden! at the 2021 NCECA Conference.
Japheth has works in the permanent collections of the University Galleries, Normal, Illinois and other private collectors in the United States.
Japheth is a Baber, Multicultural (NCECA), Lela Winegarner Fellow respectively; Marshal Dulaney and Zenobia Scholar respectively.
Japheth served as Teaching Technician (studio and lab) for eight years in ceramics at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He taught undergraduate students and graduate students. He was in charge of all technical works, sourced and processed local clay and glaze materials for faculty/students and kept decades old electric kilns running to service over 100 students per semester. Japheth performed incredibly with very few resources. He was a research assistant to Professor Kwawukume, KNUST, from 2010-2019, in designing and testing of electrical porcelain, composition and production of tile cement and crucibles with locally sourced materials.
Japheth’s works are largely inspired by traditional Ghanaian symbolism. His research and creative practice are inspired by Kente and its history in materiality (expanding its symbolism) and explore the communicative potential of fabric and fibers to discuss movement, transition and navigation of tangible and intangible foreign spaces.
Japheth Asiedu-Kwarteng was 2022 Valedictorian for the College of Fine Art, Illinois State University.