• Hamado captures elegant movement in bronze-cast sculptural works
• Natural leaves inspire his designs and add details such as veining to his finished objects
• He teaches the lost-wax technique in workshops across Africa and Europe

Hamado Zoundi left school at the age of 12 to apprentice with the Dermé family in the Dapoya quarter of Ouagadougou. This dynasty of bronze sculptors traces its roots to Malian blacksmiths invited centuries ago by a Mossi emperor. There, Hamado learned to mix clay, model wax, cast in bronze and create finished sculptures. When his mentor passed away, Hamado set up his own studio, aged just 16. Today he works with around ten collaborators, applying his creative vision to designs that he hand shapes in wax, while they handle the filing, soldering and patination steps. Every summer, Hamado travels through France and Belgium to teach his craft to extend the reach of the skills passed down to him by the Dermé artisans. The proceeds from these workshops support the craft training centre he established and runs in Ouagadougou.