Ato Ribeiro (MFA Sculpture 2017) Featured in American Craft Summer Issue
Ato Ribeiro sits with wall pieces and sculptural works in wood. The Atlanta-based artist uses repurposed wood in his massive kente quilts. Photo by Gregory Miller. Courtesy of American Craft.
Cranbrook Academy of Art alumnus Ato Ribeiro (MFA Print Media 2017) is featured in the Summer 2025 issue of American Craft (The Queue online) as part of “The Scene: Craft in Atlanta,” a spotlight on the region’s vibrant creative community.
In an interview for The Queue, Ribeiro discusses his wood-based practice, shaped by his upbringing in Ghana and education in the U.S., including his time at Cranbrook. Known for his intricate wooden kente quilt works, Ribeiro combines repurposed wood species into patterned wall-based sculptures that reflect both West African cultural heritage and African American identity.
Ribeiro reflects on wood as a medium that slows his process and invites deeper engagement. Pairing soft, accessible woods like poplar with dense hardwoods like wenge, he creates visual and tactile contrasts that mirror the conceptual tensions in his work—between tradition and innovation, separation and continuity.
The artist shares insights into his process, the symbolism behind his materials, and the inspiration he draws from working with discarded wood, saying that wood “provided opportunities to highlight various histories of time, geography, cross-border trade, and labor, all while representing our various skin tones.”
Ribeiro’s recent public commission, A Life Worth Living (2025), and his continued presence in Atlanta’s maker spaces position him as a key voice in contemporary craft.
Learn More:
The Queue: Ato Ribeiro – American Craft Council
