Sam Balói is a self-taught Mozambican woodcarver who works in the Psikhelekedana tradition, shaping softwood into brightly painted, narrative-driven dioramas. His early passion for the craft was nearly derailed by a childhood injury and the hardships of the Mozambican Civil War, but he kept at it, eventually finding an audience for his detailed scenes of rural life. His work, including his "Lobolo" (bride price) and nativity pieces, captures Southern African cultural history and the everyday life of the Ronga people.