Kofi Acheampong works tirelessly creating wonderfully exotic wooden sculptures of traditional Ashanti tribal masks and figures. Kofi designs, carves, and paints all of his sculptures by hand. To view a catalogue of Kofi Acheampong's exotic wooden sculptures of the Ashanti tribal culture in Ghana, please click on the link at the bottom of the page. Kofi Acheampong is 21 years old and recently completed his Senior Secondary Education. Kofi envisions a prominent carrier in the art industry and he possesses an incredible talent to turn wood into original sculptures using a limited amount of resources and rudimentary tools. The creation of wood sculptures has been part of Kofi’s life since he was twelve years old. This craftsmanship has been Kofi’s sole source of income for almost a decade. Kofi lives together with his brother George, who also works fashioning wooden sculptures. Kofi creates his sculptures from the wood of the Odum and Wawa trees, which grow throughout southern Ghana. These sculptures must be carved and painted while the wood is still wet because once the Odum and Wawa wood dries it becomes too hard to work. This makes it especially difficult to craft these sculptures but at the same time makes the finished products very strong and resistant to cracking or chips. Kofi Acheampong is a native of the town of Ahwia in the Ashanti region, located approximately 12 kilometers north of Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana. Ahwia is a relatively small town, with a population of only about 16,000 inhabitants. Wood carving in this area of Ghana has existed for centuries and has been consistently passed on from one generation to another within families like Kofi’s. During KWABLA’s recent visit to the village Ahwia, Kofi indicated that the deplorable economic condition in the area had forced his parents to return to their rural village located approximately 150 kilometers north of Ahwia. This has made it difficult for Kofi to keep in touch with his parents but, when possible, Kofi tries to send any extra money he earns from selling his wood sculptures to his parents. Many Ghanaians, particularly those residing abroad, are very passionate about the carved-wooden artifacts produced by Ghanaians because of the symbolic values and meanings often incorporated into these pieces. To view a catalogue of Kofi Acheampong's exotic wooden sculptures from the Ashanti tribal culture in Ghana, please click on the link below. Catalogue of Wooden Sculptures & Masks by Kofi Acheampong