Aketekete is an ode to the past and to never being forgotten. A connection to nature and its forms.
To celebrate culture, origins and stories otherwise lost.

The Beginnings

The colorful world of Aketekete started in 2020 when our founder Maria Bernat Astorga traveled to Ghana and learnt about the beautiful world of Ghanaian craft and its processes.

Through trips, meetings and working closely with local artisans, she realized the level of uniqueness and details in the use and display of skills passed down through centuries by these craftspeople.

Maria with an eagerness to share and promote their work, decided to partner with Ghanaian artisans and weave a story of transparency, value, and craftmanship, where the artisan is the main focus of the process, and the reason Aketekete exists.

Meet the team.

Our collection explores the creation of objects that allow you to see, feel, carry,
and value part of a place and its people.

We admire the beauty of uniqueness, irregularities, and the grace of craft - the expression of ourselves by creating pieces we dream of.

  • Collaborative Design

    We believe in the equal exchange of knowledge between artisans and designers. We advocate for collaboration, as we see this as the only way to honor ancestral traditions while embracing modernity and real-world needs. Research through making is at the core of our approach, allowing us to create innovative designs rooted in sustainability and fair trade values.

  • Crafted in Ghana

    Every step of Aketekete’s journey takes place in Ghana. We take pride in our locally sourced materials and the craftsmanship that goes into each piece. Every product carries its own unique story, and we want our customers to know who made it, where it was produced, and how it came to life.

  • Environmentally Responsible

    We are committed to sustainable, environmentally friendly production practices— in our material selection, production processes and in the way we work with people. Our philosophy centers on using natural materials that are locally sourced in Ghana or neighboring countries, helping us reduce our carbon footprint while maintaining ethical, high-quality craftsmanship

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Our Working Process

Aketekete works to connect our local artisans with customers. We believe in the collaborative creation of modern objects using old craft techniques while maintaining the most sustainable, responsible, and ethical production process possible.

Impact Throught Craft

The design process begins in the communities of our artisans. They share techniques, ideas, and inspiration and explore the process of creation as a team together with the designers. Our artisans are exceptionally talented and committed members of the team. Often we see our products pass through the hands of multiple artisans working in collaboration to deliver the finest final product.

We have decided to produce small batches of products and limited one of a kind pieces to ensure a responsible work culture for our artisans and to protect their craft. Some of our pieces may be imagined, designed, and crafted entirely by the artisan.

Some of our ‘pre-order’ products are specially made for you, with love and patience. If this is the case, it may be that we need a little more time for producing and delivering. It might take one to two months but this is the beauty of the process, knowing that an artisan is working to create something specifically for you.

The Team

Our team supports the artisan community's growth and development by working closely with the artisans, focusing on designing quality and unique pieces that are created responsibly. Modern raw objects have their final assembling of pieces and quality control at our small office in Accra. 

Our team is excited to co-create and design pieces that reflect our aims and goals. Our pieces pass through different hands before their final stage. And this is the impact we want to create. Sharing, caring, and loving our pieces together .

By enabling a space to truly listen and share our stories and the stories of weavers, bead makers, farmers, dyers, and creatives, we as a community can truly celebrate and honor each other as individuals but also as a team and begin to understand what is needed to be truly sustainable.

Meet our team

The Essence of our Processes

From locally baked recylced glass beads, to gold-plated handcrafted brass pieces; As part of our mission to fully produce in Ghana, most of our materials are primarilly sourced or produced locally in Ghana, by our artisans.
This adds up to the beauty of Ghanaian craftmanship, where artisans constantly challenge themselves to conceive innovative ideas and new production process to meet modern design deamnds.
Through this, skills and knowledge being passed down become even better and improved, equipping the next generation of craftpeople with the right knowledge and drive to keep thriving, and sustaining the culture of craftmanship in Ghana.