Christiane Stolhofer

Christiane Stolhofer's portrait, in Amongst the Woodpile.

Austrian born Christiane first came to Africa in 1979. After a career in nursing she began to sculpt stone in 1983. During 1987, when travelling through Central and West Africa, Christiane started sculpting wood. That was the beginning of a deeply involved relationship with the African hardwoods.

Now Maun based Christiane says of her work: "These heavy old woods are, in their character, messengers of a raw untouched nature that has largely disappeared. As I observe and engage with these wonderful materials my own history unfolds and I can see myself as an old spirit reborn into the world of organic form.... What I hope for is that the personal expression of the work carries a universal message that can touch other people"

Christiane uses wood from fallen limbs and old roots. She has exhibited internationally as well as locally: Harare, Maputo, Gaborone, Johannesburg, Paris, Munich, New York., Cape Town and Pretoria.

Stuart James Arnold