Wamunyu Wood Carvers

When you look at a tree, what do you see?

Do you see an acacia spreading out its branches to provide shade for the dessert and food for the giraffes?
Do you see strong limbs extended as cool resting places for leopards, or a perching place for storks?
Do you see healing in the leaves and barks of medicinal trees?
Do you see firewood and warmth and food?
Do you see building supplies and houses and kiosks?
Do you see eating utensils and toothpicks and pencils and paper?

When you look at a branch or log, what shapes can you imagine?

Can you imagine turning it into a circle, a bowl, a vase? What about a giraffe or a lion?  Can you imagine visualizing a shape inside of a rectangular block of wood and making it appear by chipping away, little by little, until gradually the final form emerges?

I watched an amazing group of workers do so today.   They skillfully whittled away blocks of rosewood, ebony, olivewood, and jacaranda with hands that intrinsically understood the particular behavior of each of these raw grains.  Slowly figures of giraffes and elephants began to emerge, and I stood entranced at the vision and meticulous skill of the carvers.

Wamunyu wood carvers cooperative in Machakos region, Kenya was founded in 1918 by the Late Mr. Mutisya Munge.  He was greatly inspired by the artistic skills of the Makonde people in woodcarving, and worked to spread their knowledge and craft to his sons and neighbors.  Out of these efforts the Wamunyu cooperative was formed, and has become an art form and way of life for about 2000 carvers who are members of the coop.

The artists start with a block of wood.  The initial raw carving can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the size and intricacy of the design.  The piece is then refined with smaller knives and sand paper to smooth the edges and add detail.  After this, leather dyes are used on ebony to preserve the blackness of the wood, the mahogany wood is stained to enhance its luster, and then the pieces are coated with wax to give them patina and shine.

Any of the members may use the coop’s common space to create their artistry.  On-site is a showroom where their goods are sold.  Artists receive 90% profit from every sale, and 10% goes to the coop to pay sales employees and grounds upkeep.    The coop also pays government taxes so each individual isn’t responsible for income tax.

Fair Earth is delighted to bring you a wonderful selection of carvings from the Wamunyu cooperative.  These pieces will be available on www.ourfairearth.com, and in the Andersonville Galleria at 5247 N. Clark St, Chicago, IL in March 2009.    I hope you enjoy the finished product as much as we’ve enjoyed watching the artists create them!

Warmest Regards,

Holly Elzinga

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