Glassblowing, for ages, has been a lost craft in Ghana and West Africa, but when Michael Tetteh was awarded a scholarship abroad, he majored in the art.
His training trip to the Netherlands and France changed young Micheal’s life and with few years down the line, he is a master blower.
When he returned to Ghana, he was discouraged from pursuing his craft because there was no room for his newfound abilities but he never gave up.
Michael is a pioneer in the glass blowing business and he is the head glassblower at one of Ghana’s most famous glass-blowing firms; Tetteh Hot Glassblowing Company at Krobo Odumasi in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
“I started blowing glass six years ago when I shifted from bead making. I went into bead making right after Junior High School but it got to a time that I said to myself that I had to do something more challenging,” Mr Tetteh told GhanaWeb.
Now, his skillful hands have created some exceptionally amazing lavish flower flashes.
Glass blowing is an art that requires discipline, skill and an attitude for working under extremely hot conditions.
It is not just the furnace in the workshop that is hot, but also the team of workers at Tetteh Hot Glassblowing Company is trailblazing with their sustainable approach to the creation of designs.
Mr Tetteh told GhanaWeb that “Our work is basically a recycling work. We have some women in Accra who go around and look for glass waste so we turn them into amazing products. It serves as a form of employment for these women who go about to look for glass wastes which we use in our work. They collect the glasses and wash them and we go for them.”
The glasswork made in Tetteh Hot Glassblowing Company is not just for the local market but an appreciable number is also exported.
Artist Michael Tetteh is not just looking at the profitability of his art, he is also training the next generation of glassblowers in Ghana.
Below is a GhanaWeb report on the artist’s craft:
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