Carving Styles
African woodcarving is an art passed down from generation to generation in the tribes to which the craftsmen belong. In this type of artistic manifestation – woodcarving – African tradition and culture are compactly and homogeneously combined, preserving their specificity through the creators of beautiful wood carvings.
This is possible because African woodcarving is, by definition, a tribal African art, made in styles that bear the imprint of the specificity of the tribes, which was made by hand using traditional tools.
This is why the Maasai, Makonde, Zanzibar, etc. styles of African carving are known worldwide, each of them having characteristics that distinguish them in terms of forms, themes, types of predominant elements, influences, but they always remain united by the culture of which they are part. Whether it is elements of flora, fauna, animals in harmony with scenes of tribal life, African wood carving is one that expresses dynamism, life and a certain kind of mysticism. In varying weights, depending on which tribe the artists belong to.
It is true, we are lucky to have in the Venda Art team among the last artists who know the art of hand carving in wood, because the new generations are not prepared for this type of art. But through each of the products they make – luxury furniture pieces or decorative African carvings, they convey a strong cultural message and keep African tribal art alive for those who love and respect it.