Aminata Conteh
“I think about craft’s ability to act as an archive when it comes to my work. Originally my process was in an effort to connect to my ancestors, but now I also think of it as honoring my matriarchs, especially my mama. These baskets remind me of my time spent in Sierra Leone as a child and the efforts Mama made to connect me to my heritage, to make sure that I knew where I came from, and that I was proud of my roots. I do not take that for granted. In short, this work is an achieve of my hands and the hands that came before me, my present and the legacy I carry.”
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Aminata Conteh’s practice hybridizes the histories and traditions of Metalsmithing with weaving and basketry. She draws inspiration from the intersections of her experiences as a first generation American and her Sierra Leonean lineage. Conteh holds a BFA in Metalsmithing & Jewelry from Maine College of Art and Design and was 2021 Wingate Lamar Fellows from the Center for Craft in Asheville, North Carolina. She was recognized as a 2022 Early Career Artist by the Society of North American Goldsmiths and was named as a 2023 Visiting Craft Fellow at SUNY New Paltz.
