As a sculptor, Hussein's artistic method and style have varied and developed over the years. His sculptures always begin from a section of tree-trunk, and can take anything from one day to four months to complete. Critics have remarked upon substantial stylistic differences between his early and later works. While his early sculptures are predominantly large-scale pieces that are balanced between horizontal and vertical planes, his later works are noticeably smaller and most often vertically oriented. Conceptually, Hussein draws inspiration from his native Arawak cultural traditions. In an interview from 2006, he explained that a number of his sculptures were based upon stories that his mother told him when he was young, about "animals, humming birds or fish [...] and the sun and rain gods which mark events in our lives".
Notable works Oriyu Banka (1995) Oriyu Banka is a wooden sculpture that was created by Hussein in 1995. The sculpture is made of
saman wood, and measures approximately 70 by 25.5 centimetres. It is a long, rounded sculpture that is covered with bold, geometric patterns, the most prominent of which are the circular, eye-like designs in the centre of the piece and the 12 sharp, curved "teeth" that protrude from its sides. The Arawakan title of the work translates as "Bench of the Water Spirit", with "Oriyu" being the name of a well-known female water-spirit in Arawak and other
Amerindian mythologies. Critics
Anne Walmsley and
Stanley Greaves note that while the sculpture's shape and title are suggestive of a traditional bench, its sharp teeth and
caiman-like appearance "would defy any human to sit on it". ==Awards==