( CNN ) You can rest when you 're dead , as the saying goes . And in Ghana , your eternal slumber is done in style . Burying your loved ones in intricate , beautifully crafted -- and , at times a little surreal -- caskets is a common tradition in some parts of the the West African nation . Based in Awutu , a small town in Ghana 's central region , self-taught carpenter Kudjoe Affutu has made a name for himself with his eye-catching style of coffins . `` I love playing with the wood , '' he says . `` I did n't study it in the school -- I just love carving . '' The plucky , young artisan has always had a passion for woodwork and inspired by artists before him such as Kane Kwei and Paa Joe , his startup began to take shape . `` I saw a designed coffin somewhere and I said : 'No , I have to do this ' and I forced my parents to push me into it . '' By 2007 , Affutu had opened the New Generation Woodwork Shop . Seven years on , and the craftsman has found big success thanks to his fantastical funerary boxes . From chickens to sewing machines . Burial rites in Ghana are incredibly important in honoring ancestry . In a country where the passing of a loved one is often celebrated with a party-like fervor , the elaborate coffin art allows mourning family members and friends to send their dearly departed off to the afterlife in style . Affutu adds : `` It 's a special coffin that talks a lot about the deceased . But also for the family who sees it to as a last gift to the deceased . '' Often designs for these figurative coffins reflect the deceased 's vocation or personality . Perhaps if you worked as a farmer , a chicken casket could be for you . What about a fashion designer ? Well , a sewing machine , what else ? Prices for a custom-made coffin from Affutu vary due to design request , size and where the casket needs to be shipped to . `` When it 's local , it could be around 1,000 Ghanaian cedi ( around $ 300 ) and above . Exported ones are $ 1000 or more . '' Eye-catching and strange creations . Over the years , Affutu has heard some weird , wonderful and downright bizarre requests for casket creations . Yet , whatever the request , he does n't judge a family 's choice -- he just sees it as a challenge . `` I just think of it and am done . I always see my orders as normal no matter how weird it is , '' explains the artisan coffin maker . He adds : `` A family came here some two years ago , and they said our late mother used to be a midwife and we want a designed coffin , something that can talk about her work -- and I came up with a pregnant woman who is about to deliver and it was a fantastic piece . '' Affutu has also constructed a variety of fisherman-inspired pieces for departed sea workers including canoes , fishing boats , nets and of course , a variety of fish . Today Affutu employs six full-time staff . But with an increased workforce , other problems arise . `` Like today , for example , we have a lot of work here and I do n't have a big shop ... '' He adds : `` Sometimes the materials we use -- it can be scarce for a while and we do n't have enough money to gather or to store materials for many years . '' However , Affutu is optimistic about the future , `` In the next five years I want to extend my shop and even the workers or apprentices I have , so that when somebody orders something you can deliver days before its time . ''
Kudjoe Affutu has been designing coffins since 2007 . The company is based in the city of Nairobi and employs about 30 people who work on a variety of projects including coffins, cremation urns and other funeral products. His strangest creations include a hen , pregnant lady and sewing machine .