-Hamadryad-
It would be difficult to categorize the wood sculptures of Paul Ahyi. However we can sense certain trends common to groups of his art work. Very often The artist likes to keep the surface of the wood untouched, limiting carvings to a minimum. The beauty of the wood by itself is something deer to the heart of the artist, so the choice of the log to be sculpted is important. This type of art work is coated with a barely visible varnish which only role is to protect the wood from the elements.
The beautiful muse on the left has been carved out of a wood log which Original shape and surface is still there, thus displaying the cracks and veins of a well aged tree.In a way this could be seen as a reference to nature and the figure, the spirit of the tree itself.
Here is a subject dear to Paul Ahyi and that he explored in all media he worked in. This sculpture like 'germination' (also on this page) is relatively old and very representative of earlier periods of his creation. Contrary to the recent tendency to let most of the original wood show its beauty, this one is fully sculpted, completely extracted from the wood stock. The surface of the artwork is finely polished, as a consequence the internal growth rings are visible and form and beautiful pattern on the surface of the sculpture. This couple is in an intense kiss well conveyed through the closeness of the two bodies, almost fused together. This artwork is part of the Artist's private collection
Another style in a way completely opposed to the natural surfacing we can find the intensely and extensively carved sculptures with vibrant colors. Over the years and as the art works accumulate we can see a dominant harmony of colors. This comprises mainly Black , white, Brown and wood tones which contrast with each other to bring out the shapes and figures of the sculpture. However in the example shown on the left photograph, the artist didn't cling to that harmony but went further and enhanced his work with fiery red and orange colors and metallic elements. This sculpture is more characteristic of an older era in the artist creation which covers the 80's and 90's. However these periods are not rigidly defined but more times where some types of works were dominant.
