The Museum of African Culture presents

The Spirit of the Wood

Jamaican artist Alva Lowe

Artist's Statement – Alva Lowe

Since the mid 1970s my work with wood has been an expression of the influence of my Jamaican roots.  I came to the United States as a teenager and found myself longing for the life I had left behind me.  I began carving abstract likenesses of the people who had filled my youth.  Over the years my representations were more influenced by the very presence of the spirit with in the wood.  *

*The one common characteristic of every piece I carve is that it was once a living, breathing tree growing out of the good earth.  I am keenly aware of my relationship with the earth and feel a deep gratitude for its many gifts.  I am aware that each piece of wood I carve once felt the warmth of the sun, the nourishment of the earth and the sweet freshness of the rain.  This strengthens my relationship with the spirit of the wood that still resides within.  It is this spirit and my relationship with it that guides my work.*

*When I select a new piece to work on, I survey the many piles of wood in all the crooks and crannies of my orkspace.  As I pick up and examine various pieces I am reminded of how each one came to me.  I seldom have a particular image in mind when I make my choice but consider how the piece feels to me.  Once I know that I have the piece I want, I begin to clean away the outer layer until I can see the grain and the natural shape the wood wants me to follow.  *

*As this process continues, I find myself engaging in a meditation with the wood.  The more the image reveals itself, the more *focused I become, and the deeper I feel my kinship with the spirit of the wood.