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South Africa sculptor’s wood carvings earn him worldwide acclaim

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South African artist who comes from a long line of acclaimed sculptors, Collen Maswanganyi has had his work earn him widespread international acclaim.

Collen Maswanganyi is a third-generation sculptor from a small village in Giyani, in north-eastern South Africa.

Collen’s love for carving began when his father, internationally acclaimed sculptor Johannes Maswanganyi, taught him the trade and he only works with wood.

Each sculpture is a fusion of African culture and contemporary South Africa, loaded with symbolism.

Collen has not only made a name for himself locally; his work has also gained international recognition.

“I have had a couple of solo exhibitions and a couple of prominent group exhibitions like the identity of South African artists at the Fortress Theatre in 2004 in The Netherlands and I also took part in the Beijing Biennale in 2015 and now my work is in the collection of the National Museum of China.” Collen said

CCTV’s Julie Scheier pays him a visit

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