In my First Mask Making with Grandpa Ousbi
As I sit and reflect on my work, I appreciate my artistic abilities and the courage it takes to be an artist. Being an artist isn't easy, but every artist I know does it for the love of art. My grandfather, Ousbi, said, "You chose to be an artist, now you must love what you do. With love, you can create beautiful art."
My carving tools required arm strength to craft. Holding and tapping the tools was hard. Both my arms had to work simultaneously. The first time was difficult to “control the scissors,” as my grandpa said. His advice gave me the confidence to correctly hold and direct the scissors as I kept tapping the back of them.
I enjoy working with my grandfather. His teaching method makes it easier for me to understand. He said, "The wood has directions. When you follow the body of the wood, you'll know which direction to go." He also mentioned, "You'll know when you hurt the wood, meaning when you go in the wrong direction. Keep working."
The connection between my grandpa and me is special. He doesn’t have any children, and I feel I fill that gap for him. He adores me.
In my grandfather’s studio, I have two teachers: my grandfather, Ousbi, and my uncle, Moussa.
Uncle Moussa is funny and friendlier, always joking about punishing me for mistakes. My grandfather Ousbi usually dismisses the idea of punishment because he sees no mistake in my work. Uncle Moussa and I discuss personal matters while he teaches me. He lived in Ivory Coast and moved to Conakry two years ago at my grandfather’s invitation. He used to make art and wood carvings for Europeans. My other grandfather, Moussa Sidimé, trained both Uncle Moussa and Grandfather Ousbi. Thus, Grandfather Moussa Sidimé is the great master of wood carving in Guinea Conakry.
Art sales dropped, and Uncle Moussa started working in mining with the Chinese. That’s all I know about him for now. Hopefully, I’ll learn more about him, like how many kids he has, if he’s married, his parents, and where he was born and raised. I like Uncle Moussa’s techniques; he showed me an easier way to carve, making the tools feel lighter in my hands.
As I reflect on my art tonight, I find some mistakes and errors, places that need correction.
The left jaw needs to match the right jaw.
The right ear needs to be more curved, rounded, and smaller.
The nose needs to be straightened.
The lips need to be carved on top and matched to the bottom left to make them symmetric.
The left cheek needs to be slightly carved down.
The left nose needs to be carved down and made smaller to match the other side.
The hair can be changed to an Afro instead of an unsymmetrical bun.
The line between the forehead and hair should be highlighted.
The eyes, eyebrows and forehead are symmetric and good.
