This month, we’re excited to introduce Beatrice Atencah, a Ghanaian fiber artist and a John M. Anderson assistant teaching professor of art at Pennsylvania State University. Her work explores interlacing—both visually and metaphorically—through textiles and metal. With an MFA in fiber from Indiana University Bloomington and 12 years of teaching experience, she creates fiber sculptures and site-specific installations that bridge cultural histories.
Atencah described her process as using “sheets of copper as one will use pieces of cloth, and the folds are my anticipation to freedom.”
Join us as we explore her artistic journey.
Beatrice Atencah with the In and Out of Me exhibition in 2024
Fashion shaped how I consider space like a mannequin, draping forms that emphasize beauty and movement. On their own, materials like copper can be made to contour and flow like fabric. Working in Ghana’s fashion industry—cutting, sewing, and draping unconventional materials—deepened my approach to sculpture.
Evanesce; 2024; copper, pigment, seed beads; plasma cutting, beading, powder coating; 15.5 x 5.5 x 3.5 in.
These materials behave like siblings—copper and corset boning coil, bend, and absorb dye similarly, while fabric, the “mother” material, adapts effortlessly. They embody transformation, mirroring my migrant experience of movement, adaptation, and redefinition.
Eskenazi Health Exhibition Installation; 2024; copper, handwoven Kente; hand sculpting, weaving; variable dimensions
But A Burden; 2025; corset boning, nude mesh, seed beads, cotton; sewing, crocheting; 25 x 42 x 9 in.
My Akan heritage shapes my work. Waist beads symbolize sexuality and virtue, while Kente draping is a tradition for both men and women. My fashion background refined my skills in wrapping, beading, and sewing—gestures that now guide my sculptural practice.
I see sculptural forms as lines of movement, each carrying memories from my travels. Their movement and twisting reflect the impermanence of my journey and the constraints of migration. Wrapping and knotting mirror the repetitive motions of migrant life, symbolizing both restriction and resilience.
140 Days in Exile; 2023; hand-dyed burlap, plastic mesh, embroidery floss, adhesive; hand sculpting, dyeing, stitching; 102 x 405 x 6in.
These complexities appear in my materials, process, and sculptural forms. Woven strips feature layered symbols and structured color sections, reflecting cultural identity. The repetition and grouping of my sculptures create chaotic, shifting views, symbolizing my ability to adapt.
Through material histories and visual language, I explore identity through vulnerability and aesthetics. Sculpting, sewing, and beading transform copper, Kente, and seed beads into narratives of impermanence, constraint, and beauty. Hand sculpting reveals adaptability and survival while wrapping suggests protection. Sewing reflects the community, and weaving symbolizes continuity and new memories.
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Through fiber, metal, and process, Beatrice Atencah transforms history into form, weaving together stories of resilience, migration, and cultural continuity. Her sculptures invite us to see textiles not just as fabric, but as vessels of memory and transformation—where tradition and identity shift and evolve. Exploring the complexities of cultural change and the beauty of impermanence, her work offers a profound reflection on adaptation and belonging. We’re honored to share her insights and creative journey.
Top Image: Stoical; 2024; handwoven Kente, copper, patina; cold sculpted, hand stitched, hand sculpted, patination, weaving; 180 x 245 x 38 in.
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Cami Smith is the Fiber Art Now media manager, community engagement coordinator, and a mixed-media artist.
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