Sweet Relief

How one North Philly woodworker is carving a niche in his community.

by Ptah Gabrie

Ptah Gabrie CARVING ARTIST: Robert Shabazz splits his time between cleaning up his neighborhood and beautifying it through his unique wood portraits. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Robert Shabazz lives and works in the Center of Gold. Or, to Fairhill's Latino community, El Centro de Oro.

He's been carving and painting wood on this stretch of Fifth Street between Lehigh and Allegheny avenues for 20 years, and is most known for his ability to take a photograph of a person's face and create a detailed portrait on a piece of wood or the surface of a musical instrument. Dizzie Gillespie and Charlie Parker are immortalized in wood and paint on one of the many traditional Latin American and African drums on display at his studio. On the wall hangs a family portrait carved from two photographs: One picture is of the family and the other is of a deceased relative.

Shabazz is an accomplished saxophone and conga player with a deep appreciation for jazz. He teaches basic music concepts at his studio, Madera y Musica Laboratorio (Wood and Music Lab), in Fairhill, and on nice days can be found outside his brightly colored shop carving a piece or playing music. Shabazz, a native Philadelphian, spends time each weekday morning sweeping and picking up litter around the neighborhood from the previous night. His business is art and music, but his devotion to neighborhood improvement and preserving Latino culture in Philadelphia are evident throughout the community.

City Paper: How did you start carving wood?

Robert Shabazz: I started really as a result of my association with African Cultural Art Form (ACAF) and admiring their wood carvings, artifacts and things imported from different parts of Africa and Haiti. As I began to look at pieces, I felt as though I could do this. I always wanted to sculpt stuff, but it wasn't until then that I actually tried my hand at it. I started by making staffs and canes out of branches, and certain types of vines, too. I began to make small conga drums, like necklaces. After a while I felt that I owed it to myself to get a little deeper into my own abilities. Why should I use a picture or a photo when I can actually paint it myself?That was probably about 10 years ago when I started actually carving and painting portraits into wood.

CP: Where do you get your carving materials?

RS: Oftentimes I would find furniture — like dresser drawers — that's very good wood. Half of the pieces I have in here are done on that kind of stuff. Sometimes I find materials put out in the trash in addition to pieces that I find in wooded areas.

HALF OFF DEPOT

Why live life at full price?

I made a piece that was cut from a root taken from Cobb's Creek Park near 63rd between Market and Arch. It had a natural shape of the sole of a shoe. That piece began to speak to me. It was like a footstep — creating my own way to make a living and also to reach a pinnacle.

CP: What's the most rewarding part of taking a photo and carving it to a piece of wood?

RS: Anytime I capture the likeness of a person ... I see them light up with appreciation. Even more rewarding than that is when people bring me photos of friends and family members, many of which are deceased.

CP: How long does it take to carve a portrait?

RS: I've been doing it so long now, I've solved most of the things that were problems. Now I can actually draw, carve, paint and lacquer the piece within three to four days.

CP: What drives you to get out in the community and clean?

RS: I think it's an opportunity to demonstrate service to the community. A lot of times people look down on somebody who's just sweeping the streets as though they're a person with no education. I know that I'm doing a service. It's a needed job — it keeps me humble.

(p_gabrie@citypaper.net)