Artisan Crafted Albesia Wood Cat Statuette 'Mellow Friend' Item ID: 2671821513

“My name is I Made Lagu. I was born in Gianyar in 1973. My hometown is Kemenuh Village. The village has long been inhabited by sculptors. I am the 2nd child of 3 siblings. Since childhood, I have been helping my parents so that they can earn pocket money. For school I had to borrow shoes from my brother. Even when I was in junior high school, I had to borrow a uniform to go to school.

“Back when I was little I started to learn to sculpt. I started from doing the simplest work--sanding. Little by little, my skills began to improve until I could sculpt. I got this skill from my parents. Initially they were the ones who taught me to sculpt. Besides that, the environment I live in has many sculptors working, so I often learn indirectly from them.

“As someone who works in the arts, I also spend a lot of time exercising. I really like football. I am married, and have 2 daughters and 1 son. My life changed when they came into my life. I became more and more of a hard worker to support my family.

“I've lived the ups and downs of life. In fact, I had no money to buy wood and no orders for statues at all. But I didn't give up and kept fighting. I have experienced various difficulties in sculpting. Sculptures that break when carved; wood that can't be split. However, I am still excited whether or not there is an order for a statue. I never give up in life; I always face everything with enthusiasm. Of all my works, the duck sculpture is one of the most challenging for me. This idea was first given by my father.

“As a wood sculptor, the two main tools that I always identify with are the chisel and the axe. Both tools are easy and commonly used, but the tools are not enough if I don't have the income to buy the main material, which is wood. I hope that by joining Novica I will no longer experience that difficulty. Hopefully in the future, I can earn enough to meet my daily needs.”