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Mr Mason has been doing wood carving or sculpting for the better part of 50 years! As you can imagine, after doing this for 5 decades he is known as one of the best on the island. These are not empty statements either, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, or in this case the beautiful and intricate designs he makes. What is even more impressive is that Mr. Mason uses a few simple handheld tools in his shop on the west coast of Jamaica. The most impressive thing though is that, get this, he is self-taught!
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He even gave a live demonstration of his work while we were visiting. You can watch the video below!
Watch as Mr Mason gives us a tour of his gallery and tell us a little about his work!
If you have ever travelled between Montego Bay and Negril, then you probably know the community of Green Island, Jamaica. This is where Mr Mason’s shop, Bronzo’s One Stop Wood Sculpture is located. Adjacent to the police station, 17 miles Northeast of Negril, Jamaica.
Mr Mason has been fortunate in knowing what he wanted to do for the rest of his life from a very young age. He has never had another job. What got him into sculpting? Mr. Mason’s father is an artist who paints landscapes, portraits among other things and this early introduction to art got the younger Mason into his lifelong career.
Mr Mason is actually an excellent painter himself. But he wanted to express his art in a different way and decided to do it through sculpting. Which, as I mentioned earlier, he learnt through practising on his own and as he puts it “making what I see in my mind” and simply following the wood. In all honesty, I would be afraid to start without a sketch of the idea I had in mind, but that is exactly the reason Mr Mason is exceptional at what he does. He also has a cousin who is an artist as well, so I guess this family is laced with creatives.
His pieces are mainly faces and other items inspired by Jamaican culture. But his faces, showcasing different characteristics of Jamaican people are quite popular.
As you walk around Mr Mason’s gallery you will see, among other things:
He also does abstract pieces, which are more imaginative and give him more freedom to create something new and different. His abstract pieces are more open to interpretation but the basis of the piece is still people, families and unity. The faces though are still his favourite.
Mr Mason generally uses Cedar as it is the best and easiest to work with. He does use Guango sometimes as well.
The length of time depends on the scale of the project. Smaller pieces will take less time, usually between 1 day and 3 three days. Larger ones, like life-sized abstract pieces, will take 2 weeks or even up to a month or two to be completed.
Carvings are lifetime pieces that can last over a hundred years. So if you are looking into buying a statement piece that will last a lifetime and can be passed down to other loved ones this is your best buy. This, however, is based on it being indoors and protected from the elements, not outdoors.
Mr Mason has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the carvings are protected from insects by treating the wood he uses to make his pieces.
For someone who isn’t interested in wood carving, yes. However, if you are passionate about creating this type of art for yourself, then it isn’t difficult.
In Mr Mason’s estimation, his many faces do better on the market than any other piece.
How long does Mr Mason plan on doing wood sculpting? For as long as he is able. He is someone who has truly found their calling and is doing something they genuinely love for a living.
His advice for youngsters interested in Jamaican wood carving is to just keep practising and ensure you are able to produce consistent work.
If you would love to reach out to Mr Mason, you can may do so at :
You will also find these pages quite helpful as well:
Return to Jamaican People from Jamaican Wood Carving
Return to My Island Jamaica Homepage from Jamaican Wood Carving
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