Henry Fataw Bagulo

Languages spoken: Sissale, Akwapem Twi, English

Nyvill, Ghana

HENRY FATAW BAGULO IS MY NAME

I was born on the 13TH of April 1978 in Ghana, I obtained my primary and junior school education in the biggest town in the northern part of Ghana called Tamale.  In 1993 my dad was transferred to Aburi in the eastern region of Ghana to take the post as the principal of the horticultural training school in the Aburi botanical gardens.  I joined him later in the year with my mum and siblings.

In Aburi I had my secondary school education; my subjects included Building Technology, Mathematics, English and Wood Working.  I quickly realized my interest was more in the wood works and always found myself in the school wood shop.  Since my childhood I remember telling people that I would become a carpenter in future and it was because of my love for wood.  My interest specifically in wood carving started when I first visited a carving shop in the gardens where I lived with my parents, I was amazed by what I saw and from there I knew that was what I wanted to do all my life.

I became the apprentice of master carver Kofi while in secondary school.  I would always go to work with my master each day after school; in fact I was blending school work with my part time study in wood carving.  I completed secondary school with a good certificate in 1996 and got myself active in wood carving until the year 2000 when I had to break with carving to further my education in the polytechnic school.  I gained admission and was offered a course in building construction even though I opted for furniture design; I had no interest in the building course I was offered so I decided to quit school after only a year.  It was my own strict decision because my parents insisted I go back to school but I refused simply because I had no interest in the course at all. No one understood me at the time and did not believe in what I wanted to do, even my own friends, but my vision and my drive new no boundaries.  And like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah said, “Train the mind, body and soul of the youth of Ghana according to their talents so that they can be up to their civic responsibility.”  I believe in that.
By age 23 I had carved a niche for myself in the industry.  Using my skills, I created diverse art pieces that can be found in some hotels and other important places in Ghana as well as other parts of the world.  My carvings are realized primarily in Ebony, Tweneboah, Osese, Odanta and Cedar. Most of these are the all local names of the woods I employ in my work.

Today I am 31years of age, single and a master wood carver along with five co-workers, Kattah Lawrence, Benjamin Theo, Dnieal Anim, Frank Opare and Oppong  Ampofo  Emmanuel.  They range in age from 25 to 35 years old.  We also have two apprentices Thophlos Ntim Adjei and David Knadamiky, all helping in our little shop.  My parents are happy now with my work and I am at peace with them.  Among my siblings, three brothers and two sweet sisters, I am the eldest. I love to read and travel because I always want to explore and see new things to give me inspiration.  I love music too and would like to play my guitar on any other day when I’m not carving. 

The problems I see and hear about I try to find solutions for through my artistic skill.  I also have a leadership role to play especially to broadcast opinions on the quality of things such as art production, exhibitions and my society as a whole.  I therefore see myself as a critic of my own generation.
My vision is to make the arts and craft industry a more lucrative and competitive one for the youth in the 21ST century through training and exposure.  For myself I still want to further my education at university and help bring hope and more life to my village Nyvill the poorest village in the upper west region of Ghana. TO GOD BE THE GLORY THIS IS MY STORY.

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Carving Signature

Nyvill is the name of my village, one of the poorest villages in the upper west region of Ghana.  I represent life there with an Eagle and a Village.  The village represents the hopeless people in my community and the Eagle represents the vision I have for tomorrow. I want to bring hope to the hopeless of my people and the ancestral land through hard work and determination.  To provide them with social amenities like schools, clinics and playgrounds for the children.

Nyvill means water well and therefore LIFE and HOPE because water is the source of life.  So even though it is one of the poorest villages in Ghana the hope to build a better life for the future still remains.