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The Portland jeweler makes patterns out of traditional symbols from his native Ghana. Akakpo designs his jewelry patterns by stringing together adinkra, traditional symbols from his native Ghana. Ebenezer Akakpo assumed he’d become an architect just like his father. But the elder Akakpo told his son he would become a jeweler. In Ghana, people respect their elders and follow their advice, Akakpo explains, so he did as he was told, though he was disappointed. He thought it would be a common trade. “I wanted to do something prestigious,” Akakpo, now 44, says. To his relief, making jewelry wasn’t lowly at...

“When I think in patterns, I can do anything,” says Ebenezer Akakpo as he leads two visitors through his Westbrook studio on a recent sultry night.    Ebenezer Akakpo describing his work This is the mantra by which Akakpo lives and it has guided his choices as he built a multi-prong career. He runs his own business, Akakpo & Co., through which he sells the jewelry, clothes, housewares, and other artwork he designs. He also works full time in the information technology (IT) department of the Maine Turnpike Authority. The two career paths couldn’t be more different to most people but, to Akakpo,...

Ebenezer Akakpo's jewelry incorporates Ghanaian symbols for hope, strength and other positive traits, and some of the proceeds go to pay for water filtration systems for the poor.   At first glance, Ebenezer Akakpo’s earrings and cuffs are beautifully intricate designs with finishes of rose gold, yellow gold and silver. But they have a deeper meaning. Akakpo, a 41-year-old native of Ghana, incorporates Ghanaian symbols known as Adinkra into his work – symbols of bravery, endurance, loyalty, friendship, strength and other desirable qualities. Some of his cuffs combine the symbols, for example pairing abundance and endurance. His most popular work...

The jewelry maker and metalworker uses his talent to raise money to help women in Africa. Ebenezer Akakpo, 41, blends his design aesthetic with his Ghanaian heritage to produce art with a purpose. Akakpo uses his talent to raise money for charitable projects. Sales of the jewelry and other accessories he makes in his South Portland studio support a project in Ghana that uses ultraviolet technology to purify water. He also holds down a day job as an IT support specialist at the Maine Turnpike Authority. Akakpo received a bachelor’s of fine arts degree from Maine College of Art in metalsmithing...