Art legend Elkana Ongesa dies after battle with cancer

The country's sculpture legend Elkana Ongesa is dead.

He had been receiving treatment at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital.

A family member said Ongesa has been battling with cancer for a while before he passed on early Thursday.

The known art lover was thrust into fame and global recognition by many of his gargantuan soapstone carvings

He hailed from Tabaka, in South Mugirango in Kisii, a region with rich deposits of soapstone.

At a past interview with this writer, he said he learnt the sculpting from his grandfather and his father.

In his formative years he started with  clay- molding animals like birds, fish and bulls using them  as his toys.

Later under his grandfather's pupilage, he slowly transitioned from clay to soapstone.

And with rude implement like knives and pangas and other carpentry equipment he did set off on a passion pushing him into the international art scene.

In 2011, with support from UNESCO, Elkana held the first African Stones Talk Symposium, an international sculpture symposium in Kisii.

Hiis art collections open to the public  are found the Uhuru Gardens Memorial Park and the Nairobi Gallery

More others are found at ELKOM Art Center in Kisii town.