Studio One

One of older South Sudanese art by Artist USTA Ukun "1968".

Male Figure — Rafili (Belanda/Bongo), South Sudan

Artist: Attributed to Usta Ukun
Region: Rafili area, Bahr el-Ghazal, South Sudan
Date: Mid–20th century (collected 1972)
Material: Wood
Height: Approximately 220 cm

This commanding male figure originates from the Belanda and Bongo communities of the Rafili region in South Sudan’s Bahr el-Ghazal area. It is attributed to the master carver Usta Ukun, whose works are recognized for their tall, upright proportions, strong shoulders, and serene composure.

Usta Ukun’s carvings belong to a long-standing tradition of memorial and ritual sculpture among the Belanda and Bongo peoples. Such figures were often placed atop graves or within ceremonial grounds to honor the memory of ancestors or distinguished individuals. They served as both spiritual guardians and markers of lineage, embodying the continued presence of the deceased within the community.

The example seen here was collected in 1972 by Christian Duponcheel, a Belgian ethnographer, during fieldwork in the Rafili region. Earlier documentation from the 1950s had already noted similar grave posts and figurative carvings, indicating that this sculptural form was deeply rooted in local funerary and initiatory customs.

Although exact dating of individual works remains uncertain, stylistic evidence and provenance suggest a mid-20th-century origin. Today, figures attributed to Usta Ukun are regarded as significant expressions of South Sudan’s traditional artistic heritage, bridging indigenous belief systems with modern recognition of African master sculptors.