Hand Crafted Embossed Metal and Wood Mask from Africa, "Banku Ta III"

"I was born on June 23, 1976 in the Volta region of Ghana. I am an honest and trustworthy person who used to weave palm branches and mould items from waste tins I picked up around my neighborhood.

"In 1995, I fell very sick. My mother had to spend all her money to pay hospital bills, including money saved for my school fees. I had to drop out of school as a result.

"The good thing is that I recovered from my sickness. I was thinking of what I could do with my life and realized that what I desired was to craft things, and so I should learn a trade. I joined my uncle who was a carver, and he encouraged me to learn how to finish carved items. It took me two years to learn.

"I teamed up with my uncle to work and get paid. When he carved I finished the items. I had the opportunity to train several people who apprenticed at my uncle’s workshop.

"Starting on my own was not too difficult as I had bought the basic tools to work with while working for my uncle. I built a small workshop where I could craft my pieces. Things were going smoothly for me until a road expansion project made me lose my workshop. I lost most customers so this was a difficult period for me. I realized I had to relocate to the Aburi to start afresh.

"The favorite thing about this art is designing the aluminum plates and creating the symbols. I get inspired by what I see around me.

"It is my dream and plan to expand my venture to reach customers around the world."