Artists in the region of Kisii, Kenya, have worked with stone for generations. They mine, chunk, chisel, sand, wet-sand, polish and sometimes even paint native rock into gorgeous sculptures and fun creations.
The video below shows the chiseling of the rock... with a machete. This is the tool that all of the artisans use! Often people comment in the store that they are surprised that the man has all of his fingers. ;) It is normal to use the machete in Kenya though - second nature even!
This second youtube shows how the women wet sand the sculptures. I like seeing how the women hold their sandpaper and hearing the sounds of the workshop.
Jennie Misner, founder of Venture Imports and business partner with these coops, has worked for over a decade with Fair Trade. She is tireless in her endeavor to give ongoing, fair business to her artist partners in Kenya while sourcing beautiful sculptures to our stores.
In case you are interested in some of these beautiful stone pieces, they adorn our shelves and tables at Connected and they could be in your home too! ;)