Wood sculpture, "Horn Blower in Shadow"

Dancing to his own joyous music, a musician arches his back and blows with all his might. This superlative sculpture by Eric Danquah is airy and graceful. Using naturally dried sese wood, the artisan evokes a trumpeter from the northern region of Ghana, where the Hausas use horns during traditional festivals, such as the fire festival. He first hews the image, then carves the details and sands the surface to a lustrous shine. Applications of black and red polish finish an outstanding work of art.

Danquah studied electronics at the insistence of his mother, but eventually returned to his first love - wood carving. The talented young man is aided by his younger siblings as he creates beautiful images of West African culture.