Sanaa Art Gallery
Sanaa Art Gallery
Charles Bies
new style began to develop in Makonde art with the introduction of the Shetani figures. Shetani figures are legendary spirits or demons who can be benevolent or evil, playful, sad, humorous or serene. The use of these mythical creatures in carving gave artists more room for imagination: they were able to express their deeper feelings and desires through the various forms of shetani.
Born in Dar es Salaam in 1970, Charles came from a long family history of carvers. When he was 6 years old, his grandfather took him to their home village, Ndanda, in South Tanzania, and taught him the traditional art of carving. Charles never attended school – he has dedicated his life to carving. He says it is his contribution to his people; his way of preserving his culture.
A style that is distinctive to the Makonde is the Tree-of-Life. This is a totem pole of figures, all interlaced and intertwined, rising up to six feet tall. It often tells stories about relationships between people, the land and animals, or carries moral messages about social behavior. These carvings can take months to complete and exhibit an intricacy of design and detail that would not be possible to achieve in a wood less dense and strong than mpingo or ebany.
Charle’s commissioned work has been installed in many of the cottages.
The Mpingo African Blackwood (ebony) tree has long been over-harvested across the continent to obtain its dark, lustrous heartwood. The wood is greatly
prized by carvers.
Although African Blackwood is still relatively abundant in South-East Tanzania, illegal logging is widespread, and very poor, forest-dependent communities generally receive little benefit from logging on the land around their villages.
According to Tanzania law sellers of Ebony Wood require:
Certified source of Mpingo
Trader and Dealer in Forestry Produce Registration
Gibb’s Farm Makonde carvings are ethically produced and sold.
The Sanaa Art Gallery is registered, the wood certified. Much of the merchandise available in the Gibb’s Farm gift shop supports the community.
Most sellers of hard woods and Makonde carvings in our area are not registered nor is their ebony wood certified. Please help us set the example of responsibility
and sustainability.
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“Through my work I hope to educate the children about how important it is to know your culture and be proud of who you are.”
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