Moses Odhiambo

Moses Odhiambo P.O. Box 19217 Kisumu, Kenya

Near the Kisumu industrial area, hundreds of corrugated metal sheds separated by muddy dirt paths embedded with bottle caps house men who work with metal--from car repair, to security windows and doors, to art. Moses' shed is just one of the hundreds and can only be found by asking for the man who makes the animals. Nothing on the outside of the shed indicates the pieces he makes, except perhaps an apprentice hammering an elephant into shape on an anvil in the shed across from him.

Almost as camouflage, the doorway to Moses' shed is flanked by sets of security windows, the ubiquitous windows found near many of the other sheds. Metal security windows and doors provide much of the income for metal workers in Kenya because every home has them. Moses still makes much of his living  manufacturing these windows but is constantly looking for new products that he can make.

Moses was a metal shop teacher at Ahero Youth Polytechnic before learning how to make decorative metal work.  Moses became bored making metal windows and doors and began creating  iron animals and geometric shapes. He incorporated the designs into household items from furniture to toilet roll holders. Inside his shed, a tattered workman's coat hangs from a  iron stork hook. Tools of the trade are scattered on a wooden bookshelf, the vertical pieces of which are made of the decorative  iron. Spice racks, towel bars, and toilet roll holders, all with geometric designs, dangle from the walls. Moses' products are a far cry from the scores of windows and doors that surround his island. Each high-quality piece is handmade and reflects designs and animals that make the products truly African.