Tanzania
Bagamoyo Sculpture Project
The Bagamoyo Scultpure Project in Tanzania is a partly SIDA supported fine arts and sculpture school formely headed by Stanislaw Lux. Clara Sörnäs was a co-teacher. The students are mainly from Tanzania and often from families and villages of Makonde woodcarving background. International students are welcome.
The students are taught to sculpt heads in clay from life. Then a negative is made and the head is cast in cement. From this the student carves the head in wood.
In December and January of 1997-1998 Inger was asked to teach the class at the Bagamoyo Sculpture Project. Inger taught the sightsize method and the selfportrait introducing the students to oilpainting.
There was much improvisation needed to control the light under huge thatched roofs, a natural light that insisted on coming from almost straight above many hours of the day. Local earths were used for pigments and local oils and resins for glazing, shells for cups, drift wood for stretcher bars etc.
"A somewhat pre-renaissance course," was Inger's conclusive reflection, while she was preparing herself to go back to teach some more. The young African girl was painted by Inger as a demonstration.