Sculptor picks up baton from father

On display in the Nommo Gallery gardens in Nakasero, Kampala, stands Okodi Gideon William Odoch’s new giant metallic silverback mountain gorilla sculpture that weighs approximately 650 kilogrammes and stands at nine feet.

The large sculpture made from recycled steel metal will knock you back Shs60m ($15,416). It also shines the spotlight on endangered species known to be so territorial that they abhor the limelight. Odoch told Saturday Monitor that he feels “the sculpture is now serving its rightful purpose of inspiring and putting a smile to the people’s faces.”

Adding: “The urgent need to protect and conserve the gorillas is the main message we are putting out […] From the materials being scrap, to the method of production being welding, we hope to inspire more youth to take part in the opportunity to learn this skill.”

The sculptor further revealed that he hopes to expand his team of welders from the current seven girls and three boys. The youngsters say they feel empowered to work alongside Odoch. There is a feeling of déjà vu for the sculptor as he too was empowered working alongside his father “on one of the gorilla sculptures that was commissioned by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.”

After trekking the endangered silverback at Bwindi Impenetrable National Game Park, Odoch always felt he would sculpt something much bigger than what he did with his father.

“When the right time came in, I did not hesitate to go big with the creation of the huge silverback mountain gorilla sculpture,” he disclosed, adding, “Getting out of my production comfort zone, I wanted to send a clear, loud message about the very need to save and protect the gorilla population.”

Recycled metal

Before embarking on the assignment, Odoch and his team visited one of the steel and fabrication companies. With an abundance of scrap, they managed to purchase all that they needed to produce the monument. It took them six weeks to build the huge gorilla sculpture. But it was not all plain sailing.

“The director of the steel company asked for a huge sum of money for the release of the sculpture to the public as he had no idea his scrap metal could transform into this final sculpture,” Odoch remembers, adding, “A team of creatives and I took the civil dispute to court for the release of the monument and we succeeded in getting out the sculpture despite the director’s greed and enviousness.”  The sculpture caused quite a buzz when it was taken out of the gates of the steel company. There was a traffic gridlock as people struggled to catch a glimpse of the giant silverback.

“Several youth and a few elderly members took the opportunity to jump into the car to take pictures with the sculpture as they had never seen anything like this before,” Odoch, who started sculpting aged just nine, told Saturday Monitor.

Influences

The skill of sculpting was literally passed down to Odoch from his father, Prof John Edward Odoch Ameny. Prof Ameny taught at the Makerere University School of Art and lectured at the California College of Arts and Crafts in the USA. He is widely considered  to be among the pioneer artists in East Africa.

“My dad being the most vocal, proud and a very ambitious artist, he spoke his heart and mind by the sculptures he created that always amazes his audience. And this gave me the inspiration to become a better artist,” Odoch says.  Today, Odoch creates sculptures using both recycled steel and industrial materials. He says his art is inspired by African heritage, contemporary society and nature. He is currently creating a variety of sculptures that are artistic, functional and educative for his clientele.

Rich body of work

Odoch’s other outstanding sculptures stand in the gardens of diplomatic missions and private homes. The United States of American Mission Uganda under the service of former American envoy to Uganda, Ambassador Natalie E Brown commissioned Odoch to create a piece entitled The Diversity Monument. It includes metal from the embassy’s construction project, celebrates cultural, religious, ethnic diversity, and more, and our strength and beauty when we unite. This monument that was launched on June 6, 2023 is installed at the American Embassy in Kampala.

The Girl Child Education sculpture is installed at the UN Women Uganda offices in Kampala. The sculpture talks about some of the challenges that hinder girls and women in general in several endeavours in life. It also suggests what could be done to give a helping hand to the girls or women hence empowering them. The Shoebill Stork Bird sculpture was bought by Ambassador Brown who returned to her native USA with the artwork.

The Heron Bird was bought by another American—Elizabeth M Hart—who has installed it at her home in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Majestic Peacock Bird was commissioned by the late Alan Donovan, founder of The African Heritage House located in Mlolongo, Nairobi, Kenya. It was installed by the swimming pool side in the gardens.

“I chose art as a means to express myself because it was much easier sculpting my heart and thoughts in a physical and tangible form using materials like metal, hence making it easier to send the messages I wanted to put out to my audience,” Odoch told Saturday Monitor.

Versatile

Besides metal works, Odoch also creates a variety of artistic steel furniture and desired household sets of functional pieces for his clientele. The sculptor has a home art studio in Kampala, but adds that “due to the high interest of youth eager to learn and join us, we are hoping to expand on the workshop and studios soon.” Odoch lets his hair down by playing with his two-year-old son whom he says has an “adventurous, developing, playful, and curious mind.”

Odoch joined Makerere University in 2017 for a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Fine Arts and did not complete for reasons beyond his control.