Carving out a niche: Hammanskraal man turns wood into art

Sculptor Moses Motaung spends his time carving wood to produce a wide range of artworks.

His love for paintings and sculpting developed back in 1982 after a visit to the Pretoria zoo.

“There were different types of inspirational artworks carved from wood on show.

“I got interested in it then,” he said.

He said wood carving was not an easy art form.

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“I came to realise that my ancestors had blessed me with a special talent for carving. I decided to start turning wood into art,” he said.

Motaung, a resident of Dikebu in Hammanskraal, has now carved many interesting artworks.

“I plan to set up a table on a corner somewhere to demonstrate and exhibit my work,” he said.

He wanted his exhibition to include a mix of his sculptures in various shapes and sizes- and prices, including some of his shorebirds and cribbage boards he began creating in his spare time.

Motaung said his works included frames and wall decorations.

“Most of my work is largely inspired by nature and often depicts animals, hunters, ocean storms, water rescues and fishermen at work — all created from slabs of wood, such as poplar, oak and pine,” he said.

“A lot of admirers do stop at my house every now and then whenever they see me carving, and others have begged me to sell some of the stuff to them.

“You need a special talent to sculpt, and you have to devote countless hours to mastering the craft.”

His masterpieces can take several days to complete or several years.

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“You just keep doing it,” he said. “You keep doing it and you’ll start getting what you want.”

He started each by making a pencil sketch of the scene he wanted to carve.

Curators interested in inviting Motaung to their exhibitions or anyone interested in viewing his artwork can contact him on 083 992 9193.