PROCESS

With my work I carve a variety of different objects. Traditional masks, decorative wall pieces, sculptures, drums and Ghanaian stools, are just some of the carvings I do. All of these pieces are created from wood – my favored medium; although I also design and create jewelry and batik textiles.

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.

Once the piece is carved, 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. The next step is to coat the mask in different clay and plant dyes. This technique allows me to bring colour to the surface of the mask. I scavenge the forests around my home (both in Ghana and in Canada) in search of special plants and along the riverbeds for clay. To create these natural pigments myself is a harmonious experience.

This whole process takes a minimum of two weeks to two months to complete depending on the size of the piece and story I want it 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.