For thirty years, Imanuel Mapeu has lived in Mbeyo, in the Kavango region, a few kilometres from Rundu, on the road to Botswana. Settled near an air force base, he divides his time between growing a few vegetables, which he exchanges for other goods, and carving wooden objects for passing travellers.
A father of six, he creates a range of handmade objects displayed along the national road. While some motifs belong to a familiar tourist craft repertoire, Imanuel Mapeu gives them a distinctive personal expression. Alongside this production, he creates airplanes, helicopters, cars and trucks inspired by the constant traffic on the road and the nearby military presence.
Entirely made of wood, his models are built from removable pieces assembled with wooden pegs. His airplanes, standing on long legs, seem to rise between earth and sky. Some are adorned with bombs, transforming these symbols of power into strangely elegant objects, like wading birds wearing a top hat.
Through these sculptures, Imanuel Mapeu transforms signs of modernity into a singular universe where observation, imagination and artisanal skill come together.