Stephen Alale

Stephen Alale is a jewelry and metalsmith practitioner and educator originally from Ghana who is currently pursuing his MFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, United States. As part of his academic journey, he serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, gaining valuable experience in arts education. Stephen's research focuses on cultural acculturation in metalsmithing techniques between Ghana and the United States, examining how jewelry traditions have been influenced by postcolonial cultural exchanges. His work explores the intersection of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary practice across these two distinct cultural contexts. With a vision to become a professor, Stephen aims to transfer his specialized skills to emerging artists while fostering meaningful artistic dialogue between America and Ghana. Through his practice and teaching, he hopes to contribute to ongoing conversations about cultural exchange and tolerance, building bridges between artistic traditions and promoting cross-cultural understanding through the medium of metalwork. Stephen's unique perspective as both practitioner and educator, combined with his transcontinental experience, positions him to make significant contributions to the field of jewelry and metalsmithing while advancing important dialogues about cultural heritage and exchange.