Evans Ongesa

I, Evans Ouko Ongesa, am a member of the Kisii tribe, the second in a family of eight. I was born in 1976 in Kisii Kenya (Tabaka Village). I attended primary school in my village, Tabaka. I went on to a high school outside Kisii district where I did my form four exams in 1996.
I started sculpting (carving) in 1988 while still in primary school. I simply started to learn from my older brother and my father. The first things that I made were eggs then I moved to pencil cup holders then to chess sets and to animals. I started carving abstracts in 1993 when I was in high school. I learned to dye and etch the soap stone carvings in 1994 when I started to help my father in his shop in Kisumu.
I began art work full time in 1997 shortly after finishing school. I now have a small stand in the Kisumu craft market on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kisumu, Kenya.
I decided to work on the Kisii soap stone because of its color, availability, history and marketability. I also used to do it for fun when I was the age of ten to twelve years. It helped me to buy books and school uniforms when I was in school. As I am out of school now, this art work is helping me to pay school fees for my younger brothers and sisters.
I have learned to carve everything that comes out of Kisii soap stone, like from functional things, i.e. candle holders, soap dishes, and plates and abstracts i.e. thinking men and mother of child. All animals, i.e. elephants, lions and rhinos, all games i.e. chess sets, backgammon and solitaire. I can also work in all stages like from mining to designing, carving, washing and also dying or waxing and etching. This is because of market labor.