Ronna Neuenschwander gained much of her inspiration from surviving a plane crash in 1979– quitting her job, Neuenschwander began to follow her passion. Neuenschwander traveled to Africa to study animals as inspiration for sculpting. In Africa Neuenschwander met her husband, Baba Wagué Diakité, in Mali, and her work blends the motifs, traditions, and materials of both of their cultures.