Handcrafted Congo Zaire Wood Mask 'Keeping Order' Item ID: 2671806680

Latest Update

“There has been a lot of progress in my craft business. It wasnt easy at the start, but I met Novica in 2008 and they have helped me get ahead. At the start there were a lot of challenges financially, getting a market to sell my products, and getting good materials for work. Sometimes we need to travel out of the region to get wood, and this is a capital-intensive action.

“There are still challenges, but my experience has helped me conquer them, and thanks to Novica and its customers, I have been able to raise funds for raw materials. Sometimes demand gets high so I hire assistants to help me in mass production. I have taught a lot of people how to carve, and Im proud to see most of my students make income out of it.

“I have only one child, and thanks to Novica I have been able to finance his education from nursery to university and he is about to graduate. This job has helped me to support both my nuclear and extended family.

“My professional goal is to make at least 300 hundred products because I strongly believe doing that will also increase my earnings. Novica has inspired me to be creative and innovative, and these traits have become part of me. May God bless all the customers of Novica; you have done a lot of good for me and my family.”

Original Artist Story

Robert Nortey was born in 1961 in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. He was educated at the Ghana National School in Cape Coast, where he finished in 1983. Initially, he worked with a large aluminum company. However, over the course of time, he joined his brother, Nii Noi Nortey, as a collector of antiques, as well as an imaginative creator of new carvings.

After four years of working together, Nortey left to start a workshop of his own. Presently, he works along with expert artists, all designers and carvers. Nortey currently focuses on the design aspect of the process.

The carvings are principally created in sese, nyame dua, tweneboah, and other quality woods. These are obtained from the eastern and central regions of Ghana. Says Nortey, who has been involved in this trade for the past twenty years, "I love my art and I hope to produce more interesting designs for my customers." He has participated in countless exhibitions, always achieving positive results.