Steel Wire Elephant Sculpture Crafted in Ghana 'Curious Elephant' Item ID: 2671805785

When I work with wire, it becomes imaginative sculptures.

Brian Fiifi Nkuah is my name. I was born in 1972 in Ghana. My friends say I'm creative, imaginative, humorous and an easy going type. I worked in an auto dealership before I decided to be a full time artist. It was a difficult decision for me to make since I had families to take care of.

I studied steel arts in senior high school but I've always loved figurative arts. A friend of mine named Eric worked in wire sculpture and I loved the imaginative ideas that arise in this art.

Eric was self taught. One day, I was walking past his house and he called my name. 'Come, take this wire and create a ball out of it,' he said.

It took me two weeks but I came back to show him my first sample. I started practicing anytime I found myself with wire. Eric used to do solid wire sculptures, but I decided to create unique figures with a hollow effect.

My creativeness helped me master this work so I actually didn't undergo years of training. I learn and try new ideas each and every day.

My first work was for a friend who lived in the USA. He gave me 100 dollars, with which I purchased the wire and made him a man playing a stringed instrument known as the kora and a farmer with his staff on his shoulder.

I work from home use copper, steel, and galvanized wire for my sculptures. Some of them are scraps which are treated with spray before using. I gather the wires in a sponge form and begin to work, then mold designs from them. I usually work during the day because I need the sunlight to work. I only work at night when I have to twist wires.

My favorite part of the process is when I begin to work with the wire before the real shape and finishing come out. It can be a challenge to look for the right materials because I have to go around to get the wire, especially when using scraps.

I sell my works in local galleries and hotels, online and through friends and families.

Once I had some orders and, in order to meet my deadline, I worked on them speedily only to realize I changed the right foot of a sculpture to the left and the left to right. When the customer received it, I was really embarrassed!

I trained my son when he was ten years old and he won a competition at school with his sculpture. The teachers were was amazed at what a little child could do. In addition, I have been able to teach two other people.

My inspiration comes from my environment, nature and the activities around me. My dream is to build an art school to train creative and interested youth.