Psikelekedana

One of my favorite art forms in Mozambique is called Psikelekedana. It is a form of sculpture using wood and paint. The artist may draw on their personal experiences, or use the medium to comment on society in general. For example, last weekend I saw a piece that commemorated the bombs that exploded in Maputo last March. It depicted people running in the bairro and an undetonated bomb half buried in the street.

Psikelekedana is a uniquely Mozambican art form that originated in 1977 among sculptures working with white wood. I thought I'd just to share some interesting ones I've taken pictures of over the past 8 months.

This veterinarian scene is unusual because small pet veterinarians are unusual. Maputo, the capital, has only one veterinary hospital within city limits.

This piece shows the fleeing of people over the borders during the civil war. In all the pieces I have seen, women and children go first. A Mozambicano explained that this is because the men follow behind for safety. Notice too the stuff people carry - staple foods like corn and rice, pilhos for pounding meal, clothes, water.

This is my Mozambican park. It goes with my village. I have seen a number of parks with wild animals. Only white people ever depicted in these parks as visitors or otherwise.