An award-winning artist from Ghana travelled to the North East to study at the University of Sunderland because of their unique glass facilities.
Anthony Amoaka-Attah, 30, handpicked Sunderland after seeing the unique facilities offered by the university which base their Glass and Ceramics programmes at the National Glass centre.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Ghana, Anthony came to the city to complete his PhD and hopes to teach glass art to bridge the gap between Ghana and the contemporary world of glass art.
He is currently celebrating winning the Aspiring Glass Artists prize at the Glass Prize Awards 2020 for his work "Transition of Life".
Anthony said: "My work seeks to investigate my own culture - Ghanaian culture - through the use glass and how that can be made to look like woven fabric.
"There is nowhere else in the world like the Glass Centre in Sunderland so being an artist based there has been very exciting and interesting for me.
"I hope that once my studies are complete I will be able to stay in the North East and start my career here.
"This award brought amazing light to my life as an artist. It means never to lose hope or deviate from your true purpose. I was born as an artist and I will die an artist."
The artist believes his decision to study will ultimately help open a lot of doors for him in his chosen career.
As well as teaching, Anthony hopes to work on commissions for galleries, museums and corporate institutions to exhibit his works, whilst developing his portfolio for interior design and jewellery.
The Glass Prize is run by Warm Glass UK each year to inspire creativity in kiln-formed glass and to encourage glass artists throughout the world to share their work and express their passion.
