Wood carving in Dakar is a skill that Senegal passes down from generation to generation, and a workshop to try it: you discover the tools and the movements, carve a small piece, and take it home. Equipment and supervision are provided, and beginners are welcome.

A workshop to carve your first piece

The session begins with an introduction to the materials: woods used in carving, traditional tools (gouges, chisels, mallets), basic shaping techniques and the characteristic motifs of African wood, masks, silhouettes or symbols. Next comes a demonstration of the essential movements: roughing out, hollowing and modelling, building volumes, working details, sanding and finishing.

Then it is your turn: guided step by step, you choose a small block of wood and make a simple piece, a stylised mask, a figurine, a symbol or a decorative object. The steps adapt to each person’s level: simple shapes for beginners, extra detail for the more confident. A first piece can be a simple or geometric motif.

Equipment, wood and precautions

Equipment and supervision are included. The type of wood used depends on supplies (light or dark wood), and for an introduction, a light or semi-hard wood, easy to work, is used. Tools are provided, but handled under strict supervision. The activity produces wood shavings: wear comfortable clothing. Finishes are suited to a short session, and the final piece is small.

The workshop is open to accompanied children, with adapted tools, and can take place in a covered workshop, a semi-open space or outdoors depending on the venue.

If you live in Dakar, it is a hands-on activity to do as a family or with friends, which is different from the usual outings. If you are visiting, it is a souvenir that cannot be bought: you make it.

Carving in Dakar

The workshop takes place in Dakar, in the spirit of the Plateau and Médina, neighbourhoods of galleries, shops and craft markets. The craft village of Soumbedioune, one of the country’s great craft centres, lets you see carvers at work and compare pieces.

Other workshops and discoveries

To keep creating, other craft and skills workshops are available, as well as painting and visual arts classes. A walk along the west corniche is a good way to close the session, and guided cultural tours extend your discovery of the capital.