Have charcoal, will draw: Unique art pays the bills

Many artists struggle to find a niche that differentiates them from other artists. There is only so much media and modes that one can choose from.

Stephen Karinge, a self-taught drawing artist, found his métier by using charcoal and pastel colours to bring life to his drawings. He works from his home in Umoja, Nairobi.

“I used to draw cartoons in the back pages of my exercise books. A 1990s kid, I would draw Superman, Power Rangers and Batman,” says Stephen.

By the time he reached high school, his interest had grown to mainly drawing wildlife. Whenever he had free time, unlike other teens who would go outdoors for physical activities, he would be in the house drawing.

One time, his father’s friend who had visited them offered to buy one of his art pieces, and Stephen was shocked.

“I had drawn a leopard on a tree whose bark was cracked on an A3-size paper. He liked it so much, he paid me Sh5,000. He told me I should be selling the art works, and I think that’s where the idea of making a living out of my works began,” ays Stephen.

After completing his high school education, he wanted to join Buru Buru Institute of Fine Arts to improve his skill, but nobody in his family could afford the fees. He had also qualified to join Kenya Medical Training College, but he couldn’t pursue that either. The most logical option for him was to join the National Youth Service (NYS) in 2010.

He trained in NYS, then was taken to Garissa for nine months to build roads as a mechanical and machines operator for trucks and excavators, and back to Nairobi to study diploma in telecommunication engineering for three years. He discharged from the service in 2015, and went to Damaam, Saudi Arabia, to operate motor crawlers (forklifts, wheel loaders and motor excavators).

After eight months overseas, he came back home seeking to pursue his talent which he felt had been smothered by the long working hours.

“NYS had a planned timetable for every hour of every day for the four years I was there, and it is hard to pursue your talent in a foreign country. I felt I wanted some independence from employment.

“This talent came from my father’s side because he used to be a guitarist and an artist. He had to let these go because back then the system wasn’t designed to enable one to earn a living from the arts,” says Stephen.

Immediately he returned to Kenya, he started putting together his works, hoping to start a gallery. He also took on individual jobs, such as portraits, through his Facebook page.

Stephen noticed that pencil (granite) art glares in light and can only be fully appreciated when one is directly opposite it. It also took a lot of time to draw a piece. After experimenting, he landed on charcoal dust, which absorbs light and is faster to work with.

“Using my fingers or a material, I am able to create the shadow effects in less time than it would take with a pencil. I then colour with pastel and use a fixative spray, whose liquid keeps the powders stuck to the surface,” says Stephen.

He claims to be the only artist in the country using the charcoal and pastel combination. The bigger the art piece, the higher the price. He works on A0 to A4 paper, with his charges ranging from Sh1,800 to Sh15,000, inclusive of framing. Stephen came up with a peace campaign following the animosity and divisions created during this national election period.

He started early this year collecting images of Kenyan celebrities, including politicians, sportspersons, actors, musicians, and activists.

“I just wanted to show people why we should maintain peace, love and understand each other as brothers. We know, love and applaud these individuals regardless of what their tribes are because they make Kenya proud. I wanted to use that to show that we are all the same,” says Stephen.

He has sold some of his works to President Uhuru Kenyatta, Sen Johnson Sakaja and Deputy President William Ruto. Stephen also draws storyboards that are used to plan shoots for television commercials.