Carving life from Eswatini soapstone
- Mnqobi began carving soapstone at the age of 12, and is entirely self-taught
- He is inspired by Eswatini’s wildlife and landscapes
- He works entirely by hand in a roadside workshop
Mnqobi Mnisi is one of Eswatini’s most respected soapstone sculptors, known for his ability to bring both animals and emotions to life from raw stone. He began carving at the age of 12, learning from his father and brothers, and has since built his livelihood entirely on this craft. Working from a makeshift roadside workshop near Malolotja Nature Reserve, Mnqobi sells his creations directly to tourists, braving the elements every day to support his family. His process is fully manual, with no power tools, making each piece a true labour of patience and skill. Inspired by the Big Five – Africa’s five iconic wild animals, leopard, lion, rhinoceros, buffalo and elephant, his surroundings, and even abstract ideas, Mnqobi has developed a unique style that speaks to Eswatini’s nature and culture. "Tourism is a lifeline for me. My collaborations with local creatives are opening up new paths for functional and international art," he explains.
Interview
- What inspires your art today?
- It is the stone itself. Every piece has its own spirit and tells me what it wants to become. I am also inspired by what I see daily: the Big Five, Eswatini’s wildlife, and the people around me. Sometimes my work expresses emotions or situations in life, and it is these artworks that lead to the best conversations.
- Why do animals feature so strongly in your creations?
- Nature is my neighbour as behind my workshop is Malolotja Nature Reserve. Wild animals form part of Eswatini’s beauty, and this is also my way of promoting our country to visiting tourists. I mostly carve the Big Five, but I have tried others too. A tourist once gave me wildlife books, and I still turn to its pages for inspiration.
- How would you describe your workspace?
- My workshop is by the roadside, open to the sun and the cold alike. It is both shop and studio. I carve entirely by hand, without any machines. Sometimes when I sit quietly and look at the landscape, feeling the sun, new ideas come to me.
- What draws you to soapstone, and how do you choose and work with it?
- I mainly work with soapstone because it is a rarer craft choice, unlike wood or clay. What I love most is that every stone is different. Sometimes I shape the stone into a design I have imagined, but other times the stone itself decides the outcome. When I see a boulder in the quarry I already know how many animals can be carved from it. That kind of knowledge only comes from years of working with the material.
Mnqobi Mnisi is a master artisan: he began his career in 1998 and he started teaching in 2000
Where
Mnqobi Mnisi
