Having lived in Africa all my life, I have formed an indissoluble bond with this great continent – with its peoples, its wildlife, it’s spectacular scenery.

One of the ways in which I have tried to show my appreciation for the environment in which I grew up is to make statues depicting some of its many facets, especially the animals, many of which – alas – are dwindling at an alarming rate.

When I left school, I joined my father in his coach-building workshop where I learned to cut, beat and weld sheet metal to a required shape and form. These are the skills that I apply to my statues. Each one starts with a single sheet of metal (bronze, copper or iron) and is cut, molded and welded into the animal I am trying to portray. It is an unusual method, as well as being an extremely lengthy one, but the outcome is a unique piece that can never be replicated exactly.