Congo/Sculpture: Wood plays a key role in the work of Congolese sculptors

In recent years, the profession of sculptor has flourished and gained significance in Congo. Sculptors, utilizing the abundant wood resources from Congolese forests, have also benefited from advantages provided by the country’s authorities to foster their development.

The Place du Jardin des Droits de l’Homme, situated at the heart of Brazzaville, hosts a gallery where sculptor-artisans from all corners of the capital come to exhibit their creations.

Working with wood species like limba, Kambala, Ayous, Wengé, and ironwood, they craft an impressive array of objects ranging from masks to creatures of the equatorial forest and aquatic life.

Magloire Ndassa, a 32-year-old artisan, is putting the finishing touches on an elephant sculpture carved from gray ebony, a rare and precious wood found exclusively in Congo.

According to him, the elephant, gentle and amiable, captures the admiration of tourists and foreigners visiting Africa.

Ludovic Mboum, another artisan, extols the magic of sculpting wood, highlighting the natural patterns and soft texture of the material. He emphasizes that the wood’s beauty lies in its intrinsic nature.

Other artisans see their work as a way to give voice to their culture and ancestors. Through their creations, they preserve and convey the way of life from the past.

Mireille Opa Elion, the General Director of the National Artisan Agency (ANA), visited the exhibition held as part of the Woodcraft Tradeshow.

She reassures the artisans that the government supports their work, including the requirement that public buildings be adorned with works by Congolese artisans.

This exhibition showcases the coexistence of traditional and contemporary art, illustrating the diversity of artistic creation in Congo.

The artisans, proud of their role in this evolving artistic heritage, thereby demonstrate the evolution and continuity of their profession.