Born in Gernsbach, Germany in 1992, Stephanie Ring is an environmentally conscious hotelier and self-taught artist based in Accra, Ghana. Stephanie pursued hospitality management studies and is currently managing Blue Diamond Beach & Spa Resort near Apam in Ghana. During the pandemic in 2020, the resort had to halt operations for several months. This allowed her to take some personal time and prompted her to pursue her passion for art as well as recycling.

As an avid coffee drinker, she realized how much aluminum waste was being created from the coffee capsules she uses. Thinking of ways to reduce this, she found a way to marry her love of coffee and her passion for art. What started as a jewelry line soon grew into a full-fledged art studio with the main medium being coffee capsules.

“I start by collecting used coffee capsules from various homes and offices, clean, sort and then process them.  I use a variety of acrylic paints, polymers, and glues for putting the capsules together and then giving them the final surface treatment”.

In today’s age where technology is deeply embedded in our daily routines, offering instant gratification, there is a certain appeal to creating something heartfelt and tangible. This method demands a lot of patience, but also provides an opportunity to revisit the work each day with a new perspective.

“Putting together one capsule at the time is like solving a puzzle to me. Most of my work is abstract, like a puzzle, I often don’t know what I am going to create until I am in the middle of it. Each step comes up when it needs to till eventually it’s complete. It puts me in a meditative state and has helped with my anxiety. Art allows me to create a different world for myself into which I get to escape momentarily.”

 By manually shaping and gluing each capsule, an experience unachievable through digital screens is attained. The energy infused into each individual piece is evident as she pours her heart and soul into the artworks. It is the hope that others will derive as much delight from the artwork as Stephanie does in her creation process. Though her current focus is on coffee capsules she plans to also use other mediums like bottle covers and textile scrubs in the future. Her goal is to inspire others to see the beauty in things that are otherwise thrown on the landfill and give them a chance at a second life.

In 2021 and then again in 2022 Stephanie was commissioned to create two canvas pieces for the new Nestle Headquarters in Airport city, Ghana. She had her debut solo exhibition in March, 2023, at Cabo, Accra curated by Farida Alabo-Moffet.

“Samsara” -Debut Solo Exhibition review by Sarah Daniels:

http://www.artcapitalghana.com/samsara-upcycling-in-accra/

For more information or to get in touch with Stephanie Ring, you can reach her at contact@stephanieringart.com