A Master’s student of the College of Art and Built Environment at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Mr. Ernest Adusah has earned international recognition after being selected by London-based Gallery FUMI for a solo exhibition in the United Kingdom on 19th February, 2026.
Gallery FUMI is a contemporary design and craft gallery based in Mayfair, London, known internationally for promoting innovative, high-end collectible design.
The LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize is an international award that celebrates excellence and innovation in contemporary craftsmanship.
Established in 2016, the prize honours artisans whose works blend traditional techniques with modern artistic expression, offering global visibility and a €50,000 award to the overall winner.
During his participation in the 2025 LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize, Mr. Adusah travelled to Madrid, Spain, as one of the competition’s finalists.
Chosen from an initial pool of over 4,200 applicants, he advanced to the final 30 invited to the prestigious event. It was during this period that his work drew global attention, leading to the opportunity from Gallery FUMI to stage a solo exhibition of his craft.
“When I came back to Ghana, one of them messaged me on instagram that they are interested in the originality of my craft because they have a trend in the artists that they represent but mine is way off from the artists that they are usually into so they would like to represent me in the international market so it was this year that they informed me that they want to organize a solo show for me,” he said.
Fascinated by the invisible traces people leave behind in their daily lives, his work explores the idea of capturing and preserving these fleeting marks through the vessels he creates.
“I was interested in figuring out how humans, when we walk on this earth, leave behind some untraceable footprint that we do not pay attention to. I like investigating the footprint. Can what I make, these kind of vessels that I make, be a storage for these kind of footprints that we lay around,” he said.
Titled “I Still Face You,” the Loewe collection reflects his experience growing up in a single-parent household, embedding his story into the vessels he created.
“For the Loewe, it was more personal. I titled it ‘ I Still Face You’ because prior to university, my parents had divorced so it was only my mom who was taking care of me so I embedded that kind of void in the kind of work I was doing,” he mentioned.
As his artistry has matured, Mr. Adusah has drawn inspiration from ancestral connections and the earth itself.
His work seeks to interpret the messages of the earth, translating what it has seen and experienced into tangible forms.
“The inspiration for my work has changed over time. It has an ancestral element with my focus being on what the earth has to say and what it has witnessed and me giving form to that,” he said.
He credits the guidance of his undergraduate supervisor, Professor Samuel Nortey under the Department of Industrial Art, who not only taught him art history but also nurtured his growth as an artist.
“He was my supervisor during my undergrad and he taught us art history. Whenever I had challenges with the form, texture or idea about my work, he helped and also with artist statements and things of that nature,” he stated.
The Provost of the College of Art and Built Environment, Professor Christian Koranteng praised Mr. Adusah for his hard work, noting that his lecturers’ lessons have clearly shaped him and commending him as a distinguished student.
“You must be happy about the work that you put up. At least all your lecturers have sort of imbibed in you the lessons and I’m happy that you have also been a very good student,” he mentioned.
The Provost also highlighted the pride of being trained by the university. He noted that seeing homegrown talents like Ibrahim Mahama are a testament to the strong foundation KNUST provides its students.
“While it is motivating to know that this is KNUST and you were trained here, when we look at figures like Mahama and all the others, they are homegrown. It tells you that we have something,” he said.
Head of Department of Publishing Studies, Professor Ralph Nyadu-Addo advised Mr.Adusah to remain grateful to those who supported his journey, noting that appreciation is key to lasting success.
“Appreciating those who got you where you are, that is the secret of success,” he said.
