Teacher turns art hobby into rewarding career

By MANGOA MOSOTA

Henry Oreng holds two carvings, one depicting an elderly woman smoking a pipe and the other, an octogenarian holding his chin, in deep thought. His pose is that of a content artist, for he is proud of his creativity.

There are many other carvings, portraying different aspects of Kenyan life — a dreadlocked man in sunglasses, a beaded Turkana woman and a basket full of different fruits. There is also a painting depicting two cocks fighting.

Human feelings

SO ARTISTIC: Henry Oreng displays some of his finished products and shows how he creates at his workshop. He hopes to one day have his work displayed at international galleries. [PHOTOS: JAMES KEYI/STANDARD]

Through his works of art, Oreng has been able to capture various human feelings and different cultures.

Besides enjoying his work as an artist, Oreng, 44, is happy with the returns from the pieces he moulds. In fact, proceeds from the sales have greatly supplemented his income from teaching.

"I am a graduate teacher of fine art. I find this practival aspect of my work rewarding," says Oreng who teaches fine art at Lions High School, Kisumu.

He has turned one room of his main house in Kombewa Village into a workshop, and the facility is filled with finished products and others in various stages of completion.

Oreng confesses that returns from his art business has enabled him put up a storey building in Kisumu town. He has also built three beautiful permanent houses at his home.

"I have also improved my farming on my three acre-piece of land and paid for my wife’s education at a Ugandan university," says Oreng.

His farm teems with vegetables and fruits, which he sells in Kisumu town, some 25km away. He started taking art as a business venture after mentorship from a Ugandan friend, Peter Kanyonde, 25 years ago.

Good money

"Peter made me realise that I can make good money from art, in addition to my teaching job." says the father of two. Apart from paintings, there are carvings that include key holders and other mementos.

He says there is a lot of demand for his work and to cope, he paints and carves in the evenings and weekends.

He says that sculpturing is his favourite artist work, and by the age of ten, he had started carving.

"One sculpture can take up to a month. To complete one painting, it takes me about a week. I have to produce quality products so I have to be keen."

He buys the painting materials from Nairobi, while the wood used for carving is readily available in his home. "Jacaranda trees (the wood)are the most appropriate as they produce quality products. They yield smooth surfaces and the products last longer," he says.

Lack of interest

Oreng decries general lack of interest in art. He cites a case where a senior Government official who visited his home, last year wanted key holders and other items for free.

"When I told him to pay for the key holder he declined. I did not give it to him for free as he wanted. If senior people take our work for granted, who will encourage us to do more?" he poses.

Oreng often carves names and messages of his clients onto key holders, once they make orders. He was among the first Kenyans to start making wooden key holders in the 1990s.

He says many prospective buyers often want to pay a maximum Sh3,000 for a painting, which should fetch Sh10,000. "Yet the same piece would easily fetch Sh50,000 or more abroad," says Oreng.

Every month, he sells up to ten paintings, one carving and 100 key holders, monthly.