Enyamuchera: Bird of Peace.

Art as a fluid concept has managed to both enthrall and capture human imagination through its form and its spirit. It is quite absurd to ascribe a spirit to a non-living object but to many artists the belief that their pieces of art embody a living spirit is a concept at the core of their craft. Most artists argue that art without any form of spirit or soul is a dead notion
. The emotions that art evokes are a testament that great works of art could bear a scion of the artists spirit. From a personal perspective, I have experience such a feeling and this was when I visited the Place de Fontenoy, in Paris, at the headquarters of UNESCO where o saw a piece of art that took my breath away. This piece of art is a massive soapstone sculpture called, Enyamuchera which means bird of peace in a local Kenyan dialect called Kisii.
The statue stands at a massive 1.5 meters in height and records show that it weighs close to seven tons of pure soapstone material. The figure depicts a bird, specifically a Magpie Shrike, with a turned head seemingly pecking at its tail. The soapstone color is a mixture of cream and white with shadings of brown and maroon in places meant to indicate shadow or form. My first impression of the sculpture was awe. The figure is quite large, and the intricate details with which the artist would have had to master to arrive at the behemoth sculpture figure are quite impressive.  The sculpture has been accurately placed right at the entrance of the building that is the sole UN body overseeing cultural sites, and this is quite indicative of the value of the art piece. The artist, Elkana Ongesa has been widely lauded for his many other pieces of art which can be found in many other places of repute all over the world, such as at the UN headquarters in New York and at several embassies all over the world.
The primary concept of art as a form of communication is well brought out in the art. Without having to read the tag placed at the foot of the behemoth sculpture, observers immediately feels a sense of calm. This indescribable feeling is indeed at the very heart of art, which is meant to evoke immediately and communicate the artists emotions. Art that fails to do this cannot be termed as any meaningful work. The choice of material is not the only indicator to show the depth of an artists experience and talent. The combination of fluidity, form, texture and color is the surest means of identifying a true artist and his works. In my opinion, Elkana has managed to prove his artistry and genius through his manipulation of a seemingly benign object, to carve out emotions that can communicate in any language throughout every culture and time.
In conclusion, though soapstone feels and behaves in much the same way as many other types of rock, it is the only rock which can be made to bend to the artists imagination without resorting to technology (Sassaman 69). Any artist who can evoke great emotions from merely manipulating such a stone is indeed worthy of high achievement and praise. It would be wonderful if the world appreciated statues and pieces of art from soapstone more.




Works Cited
Sassaman, Kenneth E. Early Pottery in the Southeast Tradition and Innovation in Cooking Technology. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: U of Alabama, 1993. Print.