Abstract Hand Carved Kisii Soapstone Sculpture Modern Father & Children Kenya

Carved Soapstone Statue - Father bending down to his children. Hand-carved from a single piece of Kisii soapstone by African artisans, the outstretched arms of parent and children hold onto one another in love and connectivity. This beautiful soapstone sculpture personify the timeless strength of the family bond. Hand-painted with a lustrous black finish to match any decor. Each sculpture is artfully hand-carved from a single piece of Kisii soapstone, found only in the hills of southwestern Kenya. Mining the soapstone from surface hills is a labor-intensive process, using little to no machinery. Laborers works with shovels, picks, axes and machetes to carve out large soapstone chucks, which are then carved into beautiful art. Soapstone is mined from great pits in the area surrounding Kiisi, Kenya. The mined soapstone is then delivered to carvers who carve sculptures from the natural stone for the wholesale market, the color of which ranges from cream, to pink, to brown, to yellow, to black, to a marbling of all of them. Once carved, the craftspeople smooth rough edges of the soapstone with sandpaper dipped in water and polish the piece to a high gloss or paint African motifs in brilliant colors with etched accents.