Sese Wood and Aluminum African Mask Oblong from Ghana 'Gelede Dance' Item ID: 2671803676

Update (August, 2019)

Henry Acquah is my name. I have been carving for 29 years now, and I joined NOVICA 3 years ago.

I marketed my art works in my shop in Aburi. The sale of my artworks started with yearly orders, but then at a point it stopped. Then a friend introduced NOVICA to me, and I took the opportunity. I started making sales through NOVICA, and in no time I requested a loan to build up my business, which was granted. NOVICA aids in my earning of funds to cater for my children and grandchildren, though sometimes sales are slow.

I have trained over 5 individuals to finish pieces, including my own daughter. In my leisure time I like to play football; I have been playing football since 1975. My aim is to introduce some more people to NOVICA to also have the beautiful experience.

Original Artisan Story

My name is Henry Acquah and I am a woodcarver. I was born in Ghana in 1957. My friends describe me as friendly, easy-going and serious about work.

I became interested in this craft from my mentor, Emmanuel Abbey. After I made several visits to his workshop in 1983, he agreed to teach me. I've also taught my son to carve. I learned how to master this craft because of my interest in arts and my teacher who brought out the talent in me.

Starting on my own wasn't easy. I worked for my teacher for some time to save money for my own workshop. I use sese wood and acrylic paint.

My favorite part about my work is being able to replicate art works. I am inspired by the people around me who are involved in arts. I seek quality in individuals with whom I'd like to work to be able to create or improve on my designs. The youth in my community can earn some extra money by helping us sandpaper the finished carvings. In some cases, they actually make a living from this.

A challenging moment in life was when a client asked me to produce 200 masks in a week during bad weather conditions. I was very happy to take that task.

An embarrassing moment was when a lady from Ireland ordered some drums. When she came to pick them up, I realized they a bit of mold on them because of where I stored them. She was really angry and almost rejected them, but I calmed her down and cleaned them well so she accepted them.