Artisan Carved West African Mask 'Akan Sandal Man' Item ID: 2677064654

My name is Raymond Otchere, and I have been with this company called NOVICA for 20 years.

I joined NOVICA initially as part of a group (with my brothers) until I later became a sole artisan. I am extremely skilled at what I do, therefore I had no issue with either my new products or replenishment.

My main success that I can speak of is providing for my children with my sales from NOVICA. My children have had the best of educations, thanks to Novica. I have three children, and some of them are handling their own businesses and so on.

As a way of passing down my skill, I have trained more than four artisans. All four of the artisans are doing well and now have their own shops. I have expanded greatly in scale. Now I have my own shop, and my goal is to create more unique items for both my shop and NOVICA.

Original Artisan Story

I am a master woodcarver and create masks, profiles, figures and drums, among other crafts. My workshop is located in the hills of Aburi, a leafy and vibrant town in the Eastern Region of Ghana. This skill of carving has been passed on for generations in my family. I was trained under the supervision of my father who was also a master carver and very well known in our region.

I have been a carver since I was almost 30, and this art has sustained my family for most of my life. Like my father, I am a respected craftsmen in my town and have taught a lot of young men over the years. Currently, I work with two apprentices who are happy to learn under my tutelage. My inspiration for designing and producing comes from within and from the beautiful things of nature that surround me.

I am a family man with three children - two girls and a boy, and I hope to pass the skill on to my son someday just like my father did. I believe that my son should learn the skill even if he does not pursue it as a career, in order to pass the heritage on for generations to come.