Arts and crafts in Mozambique

This post is part of the Mozambique 2011 series. The previous post in this series is Daily life in Mozambique – hardship and happiness.

As I mentioned in my previous post in this series, the local Mozambicans are artistically talented people. Their art takes many forms including wood carvings, pottery, paintings, locally made and dyed fabrics, as well as bead and shell jewelery.

Fish carvings being made and sold along the road between Pomene and Maputo. ©WMB

The process starts with tree stumps being chopped into large wooden blocks. The young man chopping in this photograph is the son of the carver. He is using an axe with a handle made out of mahogany wood and a blade made from the leaf spring of a truck. ©WMB

The artist starting to work on a new fish carving. His tool is similar to the axe being used above, but is smaller with the blade being orientated differently. ©WMB

A carving completed and ready for polishing. A combination of shoe and furniture polish is used to give the wood color and protect it. ©WMB

Artists in Mozambique do not all have access to galleries to display their works.

Sidewalk exhibition: An artist displaying his paintings on a sidewalk in Vilanculos, Mozambique. ©Theo van Zyl

Sidewalk exhibition: A close-up of some of the paintings. ©Theo van Zyl

At “Pomene City”(a group of about 10 grass huts, housing small businesses) is a “curio shop” where local artists display and sell their work.

The curio shop at Pomene, Mozambique. ©Dawie Bester

As I did not have any close-ups of the actual items for sale here, I have zoomed in on particular areas of the above photo. You can click on the images below to enlarge them.

I love the cat carvings in the foreground. I wonder whether this specific artist has an interest in cats, or whether he knows that some tourists do? Also see the intricately carved stools and little tables in the foreground. ©Dawie Bester

Even some of the wooden posts supporting the grass hut have carvings on them (see post to left of store owner in the photograph). The stand which displays the bead necklaces in front is also a carving. ©Dawie Bester

Carved wooden boxes of various sizes are displayed at the bottom of the photograph, with paintings hung against the walls of the hut. ©Dawie Bester

Locally manufactured and dyed fabrics blowing in the wind at Pomene, Mozambique. ©WMB

More fabrics and clothing made out of the same material. ©WMB

There is art everywhere, some of it on display but not for sale.

Mural at Maxixe, Mozambique. ©Berry Linde

Another view of the above mural. ©Berry Linde

A mosaic floor in Vilanculos, Mozambique. ©Heyns Kotze

Wood carvings as directions to the ladies and gents bathrooms. ©Heyns Kotze

The Mozambique 2011 Series:

• This is how it starts . . .
• Why I didn’t go along
• Daily life in Mozambique – hardship and happiness
• Arts and crafts in Mozambique (this post)
• Top Chef Mozambique 2011
• Chicken run to Pomene 
• Sharks getting a raw deal – on the dark side of Mozambique

Thank you to Heyns Kotze, Theo van Zyl, Berry Linde, Dawie Bester and Willie for allowing me to use their beautiful photographs for this post. See individual photos for credits.

A special thank you to Willie for providing the information used to write this post.