▁minister . ▁After ▁gradu ating , ▁he ▁was ▁h ired ▁at ▁Grace ▁Dieu ▁as ▁a ▁language ▁teacher ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁ ▁Man c oba ' s ▁interest ▁in ▁art ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁with ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁an ▁adj unct ▁teacher ▁named ▁Ned ▁Pat erson ▁at ▁Grace ▁Dieu . ▁Pat erson , ▁a ▁recent ▁art ▁school ▁gradu ate ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁the ▁min istry , ▁introduced ▁wood ▁car ving ▁and ▁gained ▁a ▁following ▁among ▁those ▁at ▁Grace ▁Dieu ▁who ▁were ▁artist ically ▁incl ined . ▁Initial ly ▁Man c oba ▁produced ▁decor ated ▁pieces ▁of ▁furn iture ▁in ▁the ▁school ▁car p entry ▁shop , ▁using ▁the ▁school ' s ▁bas ▁relief ▁style . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 9 , ▁he ▁tried ▁his ▁hand ▁at ▁fre est and ing ▁sculpt ure , ▁and ▁produced ▁a ▁commission ed ▁work ▁called ▁African ▁Madonna ▁using ▁a ▁model ▁in ▁a ▁contra pp osto ▁st ance . ▁African ▁Madonna ▁is ▁probably ▁the ▁first ▁modern ▁sculpt ure ▁produced ▁by ▁a ▁Black ▁South ▁African , ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁on ▁permanent ▁display ▁at ▁the ▁Johannes burg ▁Art ▁Gallery . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁Man c oba ▁sculpt ed ▁Future ▁Africa ▁( A frica ▁to ▁be ) — two ▁youth ful ▁African ▁figures ▁as ▁a ▁represent ational ▁appearance ▁of ▁Africa ' s ▁bright ▁future . ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁Man c oba ▁was ▁offered ▁a ▁job ▁by ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁government ' s ▁Department ▁of ▁Native ▁Affairs ▁during ▁the ▁spring