ADIANTE FRANSZOON

About the Artist

Biography: Adiante Franszoon was born in the interior of Suriname along the Brazilian border. He was raised in the Saramacca Maroon tribe, in one of many communities established by former slaves who moved from the coast of Suriname to the Amazon rain forest in the early 1700s. He learned to carve when he was a young boy growing up in the village of Dangogo. He came to the United States in the early 1970s to get an American education. He presently resides in Baltimore, Maryland where he carries on the traditional Maroon carving of his ancestors. His work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, and at the Black History Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

Artist's Statement

My goal is to incorporate the Saramacca Maroon style of woodcarving into the contemporary western style of furniture making. I want to make unique objects that my clients will consider heirlooms to hand down to their children. When they speak of my work, they can tell about how each object was crafted, because when I am commissioned to create a piece, I collaborate closely with the client in the decision making process. We work together to create the design, select the wood, and consider the form and function of each object. Only the finest woods, such as teak, mahogany, and tropical cedar are used because of their strength and beauty. Each object becomes unique to the desires of the individual.