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Traditional Ghanaian symbols for hope and friendship adorn Portland-based artist Ebenezer Akakpo’s contest-winning bus stop design. Midmorning on a weekday, nobody was waiting outside 519 Congress Street, in Portland, where a bus shelter sits in front of the old, granite-faced Mechanics’ Hall and across the street from a CVS. The shelter is mostly ordinary — black aluminum posts, clear glass, and a bench — except that its sides and ceiling are decorated in ornate red, green, and blue panels, an arresting splash of creativity in an otherwise utilitarian structure. As sunlight streamed through the panels, shadows recast the patterns on...

Every month PelotonLabs co-founder Liz Trice interviews a local community member. This month, Liz caught up with Ebenezer Akakpo, an artist and entrepreneur who takes inspiration for jewelry and houseware designs from the ancient Adinkra symbols of his boyhood home of Ghana.  What is the meaning of the Adinkra symbols you work with?  The symbols are from my native country. Depending on the symbol, they can represent what’s most important to a person, such as friendship, hope, or endurance. These ancient, Ghanaian symbols have appeared in cloth, architecture, and homes for centuries. In fact, architects and graphic designers in Ghana...

In his work, Ebenezer Akakpo strives to make connections between his home country of Ghana and his new home in Maine and to help others at the same time. Jeweler Ebenezer Akakpo is always looking for ways to innovate – and donate. From earrings and rings inscribed with Ghanaian symbols to water purifiers and drinking cups, Akakpo designs, creates and produces his wares out of his one-man workshop in Westbrook’s Cumberland Mills. He retails and wholesales his work online. The sales of a number of his products benefit nonprofits, including a clean water group and a legal organization that helps people...

At Akakpo & Co. they believe in thoughtful design. Their drinkware, tableware and jewelry is made with great care, and whether you’re buying something for yourself, a friend or loved one, they want that gift to be lasting. The Adinkra symbols they feature have long been a part of Ghanaian culture, and can be found on fabrics, pottery and in art throughout the country. Designer Ebenezer Akakpo has made these ancient symbols uniquely his own by creating depth and movement in each pattern. Each has special meaning, and their hope is that you find a personal connection to the symbol...