David Obeng Adane (b. 1992)

Kwansen

2024

Stoneware, hand-carved with a patinated finish and painted interior

H 26 × W 41 cm

Kwansen belongs to Adane’s In My Family House series, which takes its forms from the large household vessels that were central to domestic life in traditional Akan homes. The name translates as “soup pot,” and the form follows directly from that reference: broad and low, with a deep interior well, an elevated foot ring and twin handles set at the rim. These were communal serving vessels, made for the centre of the table.

The exterior is densely carved with geometric bands and Adinkra-derived motifs, finished in the Blackwood patina that has become a defining quality of Adane’s darker works. The surface recalls the grain of Odum, one of Ghana’s most valued hardwoods. Against this, the interior is finished in a vivid red automotive paint, a material the artist had access to at the time of making. The choice was practical, not conceptual, but the result is a contrast that defines the piece: dark carved timber on the outside, a deep reflective red within.

Kwansen is one of the larger works in the In My Family House series. Its scale and low centre of gravity suit a dining table, a wide console or a low plinth.

“By combining conceptual clarity with emotional awareness and a considered approach to forming and carving, I create works that invite reflection on human interdependence within culture and environment.”

— David Obeng Adane