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Charles Maina Ombasa is a Nairobi-based soapstone artist. This family trade has been passed down to him from his parents, who were both carvers, as well. It's not surprising that this particular form of artwork runs in his family, given that they're from Kisii, Kenya, where most of the country's soapstone is quarried.
Charles grew up in a family of four children. He has one brother, who also carves, and two sisters, who have learned other parts of the soapstone trade. Charles was carving to make pocket money even when he was in school, but he didn't seriously dive into the business until he'd finished high school and was in his late teens. Sometime after he'd started his business, Charles' parents passed away, leaving his siblings with no means to support themselves. Fortunately, they knew the trade in which Charles worked, so Charles hired them to help him in his business until they were able to support themselves.
Nativity sets and globes are Charles' areas of expertise. He's also been known to make plates, chess sets and human sculptures, but to a lesser extent. His ideas come largely from watching nature, although he says he also peruses catalogues, looking for household objects that he can make. Some of Charles' inspiration also comes from the kitchen, where he looks for utensils that could be made out of soapstone. Charles has two partners who share the small workshop at Charles' house. One partner helps paint the crafts, while the other helps carve. They distribute their work to Nairobi's craft market, as well as doing special orders.
Charles has three children. Two are twins, who are nine years old, and one is five. The children aren't old enough to help Charles with his work yet. "They're willing, but then they are young," says Charles. Perhaps when they're a bit older, they'll start learning the family trade.
After thirty years of carving, soapstone is not only a way for Charles to make a living. It's also a way to celebrate his Christian beliefs. Charles says that having the ability to glorify God through artwork is something he's grateful for. The business also helps Charles' community by creating jobs in his workshop. He would like to expand his work so as to hire more people, and he says that his business with Aina Moja is slowly helping him to achieve this goal.
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