Nii Addico - Artist Statement

Stories are the thread that weaves through my work. In each piece I tell the story of the wood as well as the stories of my people. Though I also work in other mediums (textiles and jewelry) the carving process is what thrills and sustains me the most.

There is a spiritual element in wood; it contains the history of its life as a tree and the life that grew around it. I love to manipulate the grain and the layers to reveal this story as I carve. Chipping away at a log to expose the object inside it is an exhilarating and inspiring process. I continue to explore the wood’s past through the plant and clay dyes I create to add colour to the piece.

I was raised in a family that told the early tales of Africa. Because of this I carve meaningful symbols into the piece to pay tribute to both my history and the legends of the ancestors. By incorporating elements such as antique brass I hope to honor the past generations who have shaped such materials. The use of time-honored African methods of carving is significant in my work to keep its history alive.

 Every piece that I create is a thread to Africa’s past. Once I finish a carving (such as a mask) a new character is born from the stories, with its own set of tales to tell. Through my art I endeavor to keep the traditions of Africa alive.

Artist Portfolio

A renowned artist and woodcarver from Ghana, Nii Addico recently immigrated to Canada to be with his Canadian wife, Bronwyn. Together they run Creation Africa, a small company created to showcase Nii’s work and to foster a new appreciation for the richness of African culture within Canada.

Nii devoted twelve years to perfecting his craft. A graduate of Ghana National Vocational Institute, Nii spent 5 years training in an apprenticeship at the Ghana National Arts & Culture Center under three different carving masters.

While working for Ashanti Furniture, a well-known Ghanaian furniture company, Nii transitioned from woodcarving to design. A selection of his designs from this time period is on display in Morocco’s Parliament Buildings.

In 2002 Nii has ran his own craft store in the Ghanaian villages of Kokorobite and Pram Pram. His work was imported to Sweden, England, the United States as well as Canada. Nii’s carvings have also been featured in exhibitions within Ghana and other countries within West Africa. Since arriving in Canada in 2005, Nii has demonstrated his carving skills numerous times at various locations including Art in the Park Festival in Stratford and the One of a Kind Show in Toronto. Nii's work is in the collection of several Canadian art collectors as well.

Artist Process

When I begin to create a carving, I first select a piece of wood that speaks to me. I spend time with the raw material trying to decipher the story that it wants to tell. Then I begin carving the rough shape of the mask or sculpture, following a basic drawing. Once the shape has been formed, I follow the wood to the next step of creating its features. I use the grain of the wood as a guide to the story it wants to tell. Since my arrival in Canada in 2005 I have experimented with Sugar Maple, Ash, Indian Rosewood but I still prefer Acacia, a hard wood that grows all over Africa.

Once the piece is carved and sanded, I tool antique brass pieces with symbols that represent the character of the mask or sculpture. The brass comes from wedding bowls that I collect while in Ghana. These brass bowls were traditionally passed down through family dowries.  With the advent of plastic in African societies this customs has sadly lost importance. By using these bowls I want to honor this lost tradition as well as the generations that have used them. I then nail the brass pieces to the cheeks or forehead of the mask. When I am running low on brass I use copper or aluminum

The last step is to finish the piece by applying different dyes. I have four different methods, which changes the look of the piece depending on the technique used.

1. 1)I coat the mask in different clay and plant dyes. This technique allows me to bring colour to the surface of the mask. I create the dyes from different lichens, flowers and berries as well as kola nuts.
   

2. 2)I apply a layer of potassium dye followed by a wax polish finish to seal the wood. I apply clay on the wood and wrap the piece in cloth so that it  can soak up the clay. I remove the cloth weekly and reapply more clay. I repeat this process until the piece has the aged look that I want, usually about 2 months.
   

3. 3)I apply clay and leave it to soak into the piece. A few days later I finish it off with wax polish to seal the wood.
   

4. 4)I dig a hole in the ground and place the piece inside. As I cover the piece with dirt, I place a small metal pipe into the ground close to the piece. I then burn a fire over the ground for three days to age and smoke the wood. After I dig up the piece, I brush, sand and polish it.
   

This whole process takes a minimum of two weeks to two months to complete depending on the size of the piece and story it wants to tell. Each carving is created using only hand tools. In all of my work, I am determined to maintain traditional African craft techniques but I aspire to grow as an artist by combining them with western aesthetic and materials.