Thornquestgallery - Art News

I had the opportunity to sit down with Siaka (pronounced: Seeaka) this Wednesday to talk about his life, work, and the Shinners. Siaka is the man behind the initial design of the Shinners’ ornament work currently focusing on the use of “found objects” - most notably fish bones. Siaka, like so many of the kids he works with, lost both his parents in childhood.  Get the interview after the jump.

HEAL: I noticed that everyone here calls you Osiaklo – is that somehow short for Siaka?

Osiaklo: That’s just what everyone calls me. It started with my father who used to call me “owner of the house” - ultimately that turned into just Osiaklo. My friends started calling me by it years ago - now everyone does.

(H): “Owner of the house” - That’s one heck of an expectation for a young kid.

(O): (laughs) I tried my best.

(H): So, what do you do … What’s your job?

(O): I’m trained as a performing artist specializing in: stage acting, dancing, dramatic story telling, poetry reciting, and drums – although I can not handle the drums so well anymore.

(H): Why not, what happened with the drums?

(O): I was attacked a couple of years back walking home after a show. They wanted my backpack; I tried to give it to them, but was apparently not fast enough. Tried to protect my head with my hands (shows right hand – multiple wide white scares with visible suture marks crisscross it), but went unconscious pretty quickly. Somehow I made it to a friend’s house and he took me to hospital.

(H): Those are incredible scares – what did they go at you with?

(O): A Machete.

(H): Of course, I’m sorry.

(O): It’s pretty good now but has never healed quite right - it hurts to play for very long. I can still hang with a group as long as we do not go to long and I am still the “keeper of the drums” for the group, and get to play for the kids here about once a week.

(H): Did you go to school for drama or music?

(O): For the most part I am [self taught] – just things I’ve always loved and done – I have gone to several small scale workshops/classes especially to improve my stage work.

(H): Can you make a living in Kisumu with live performance?

(O): It comes and goes. One month my group and I will do pretty good and then have a month where not too much is going on. Makes it tough but leaves me time to do this (indicates Shinners and the kids playing around us) with the understanding that when a show opportunity comes up I’m off for the day.

(H): What is your role here at the Shinners?

(O): I do most of the jewelry design, train people in actually making the jewelry, and help take care of the kids. On most Fridays I get to perform for the kids, usually music or puppet shows (indicates the large puppet theatre) and mostly just off my head stuff, but they love it. Those are the best days.

(H): Tell me, what are your goals in the next 5 to 10 years?

(O): You know - I have been so torn about my future. You see, I have these two loves: performing and community work and have had a very hard time deciding between them. That is, I guess, one of the ways that working/volunteering here has helped me most: I’ve begun to see that I may be able to do both or even combine them into something really successful.

But, to answer you question: If in 10 years I could have my own performance place where artists could come to perform and people would come and watch – then I would be a happy man.

(H): Finally, what are your influences?

(O): My dad. He was a police officer and a good man. If he said something he did it. If he wanted something he went for it and he would always finish it. I try to do that same thing in everything I do both in my art and with the children.

(H): Thanks. It was great to get to talk with you.

--Matthew