Artist Soi’s canvas bag art a hit with fashion lovers

Michael Soi is known to express his feelings through paint and brush. For the longest time, he has used his artistic skills to make wall hangings, creations that often gets tongues wagging.
For a number of years he has dared to tackle topics that society considers sensitive. The artist has and is still working on a controversial “China invasion” project which portrays the mass exodus of the Chinese to Kenya.
For instance, his most recent wall painting was inspired by a recent experience at Amsterdam Airport where he was aboard a plane with what he describes as “over 100 excited Chinese men in black suits headed for Nairobi”.
“Kenyan society is one that loves to bury its head in the sand, but I get inspired by current happenings that I feel a great need to highlight and document,” he said in an interview with the Business Daily in reference to his artistic style.
But as he continues to inspire the world through creative wall paintings, Soi is on to a new path that might change how artists’ works are consumed by the masses. Last year, his six-year-old daughter Malli Mueni’s request for a hand-painted bag unknowingly opened a new opportunity for his art business.

Global
Soi heeded Malli’s request and other people who saw the functional piece of art began making orders. Within no time, his bags were a global sensation.

“It began as an experiment and somehow the move to bags took a life of its own. Seeing that people loved the product, I discovered an untapped opportunity and moved in to explore it more because it is practical and Kenyans would start taking ownership of local artwork.” The new direction has set him apart from fellow contemporary artistes who regard framed canvases as the only way to display their work.
Although the new-found direction of making and selling hand-painted bags is taking much of the time he would have spent creating wall paintings, Soi is not about to change the way things have turned out. After all, he is living the dream of finally getting locals to buy and own art.
One thing that is clearly distinct about Soi’s new art work is the choice of subjects. For the bags, he has steered clear of the bold, satirical style he has been known for, instead settling for a trend that would not arouse any controversy and that even the firmest of conservatives would describe as tasteful.
Commenting on his new style, Soi said:

“There is a great need for we (artists) to come up with innovative ways of encouraging locals to own art since currently most of our customers remain foreigners.
The bags that I make are small, functional and acceptable to most people including children.” Soi has sold over 600 bags since he started the venture and pegs his success to the uniqueness of each product.
His bags sell for Sh3,000 a piece, which is a bargain because one gets to own a classy painting to carry everywhere. He paints seven pieces of canvas materials every day after which they are dried then sewn into a bag. At the moment, he is working to complete a 200-bag order he recently received from Spain.
His work has attracted referral clients who stream to his Godown Arts Centre studio in Industrial Area. Besides, the unique product has seen him receive collaboration requests with renowned luxury bag companies such as Sandstorm Kenya.

Being an artist who draws inspiration from his surroundings, striking a balance between the merchandising part of his bag business and his career as an artist has been a great weight on his shoulders.

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However, he is grateful for the idea as he gets to use proceeds from the bag line to inject much-needed capital into his art business. With an active Facebook page, Mike Soi has put social media, which accounts for 75 per cent of his sales, into good use by turning it into a viable marketing tool.

An artist for 19 years, Soi who worked with Kuona Trust for five years, claims that the industry is growing “organically” but notes that there is need for additional local support.
He encourages his daughter, to explore her artistic skills, which she exhibited from a young age. She has painted some bag pieces herself. “Malli is really independent for a six-year-old. She chooses her own subjects and has developed an artistic vocabulary of her own.

Most of her subjects are usually inspired by things that she sees around,” he said. Malli’s works have attracted a number of buyers especially those shopping for kids’ room wall art.

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