Hand Carved Wood Sculpture of Family from Ghana, "Mother's Children"

“My name is Raymond Afari Yaw. I was born in 1979 in the eastern region of Ghana. My style of artwork is Abstract. My friends would describe me as a trustworthy and honest person.

“I became interested in the arts while in school. I was taught by my own brother at the Aburi craft village. I couldn’t further my education after junior high school, so I went into carving to earn an income so I could continue my education. It took me three years to learn the carving skills, and I have been doing this for over 12 years now. I came to master this craft by having a good character and a humble attitude. I have been able to use the proceeds from carving to resume my education.

“My favorite thing about my work is the sketching aspect. I look at the wood and the design that comes out and I carve it. I start by sandpapering the wood, sketching, and then transferring the sketch to the wood. and My inspiration is intuitive--I can’t explain it. I have also taught few people myself, so my art helps my community to care for themselves and also attend school.”