In 2011, UK sculptors Michael Cooper and Martin Jennings took part in an expedition to Karamoja, Eastern Uganda to work with the few remaining Tepeth stone-carvers. Carving in soft soapstone, the Tepeth carve portraits of celebrated individuals, generic renditions of the warriors of neighbouring tribes, portraits of their name-bulls and sculptures of clan animals or other animals they see regularly while tending their herds. This Indigenous tradition is on the verge of extinction, as photography replaces carving and the erosion of ancient values in the wake of modernisation continues apace.
In supporting the carvers, the Foundation aims to rescue what is effectively Uganda’s only indigenous sculptural tradition. A series of workshops and the purchase of tools and equipment to help the carvers continue to make work as well as providing a market for selling the sculptures are all part of the project. Karamoja is one of the poorest parts of Uganda and the interest generated by this unique sculptural tradition has the possibility to transform not just the lives of the individuals who do the carving but also their families and communities. It also helps to disseminate a positive view of the traditions of the Karamajong people. Tactile and portable, the Tepeth soapstone carvings rank alongside other great East African sculptures such as those of the Makonde in Tanzania or the Kisii in Kenya.
