UK artist, Mark Stoddart, put on auction a rare silver sculptor valued at around Ksh3 million to help raise funds to build a school in Kenya.
According to Stoddart, the new institution he intends to build in Kenya would help students move from their current one, which is reportedly crowded and leaking.
The school Stoddart wants to construct is set to focus on vocational training in skills such as dressmaking, drawing, painting, singing, beading, tapestry and hairdressing.
Stoddart is looking forward to groundbreaking the project before schools resume for the first term of the 2023 academic year.
The renowned artist is working on his next project - a silver bull, which will be auctioned to raise funds for the institutions.
Stoddart envisioned the school project to offer boarding services for students travelling from far.
"Who knows what the interest in it will be, it could fetch from Ksh200,000 (£2000) or Ksh3 million (£20,000). Sotheby’s have very generously offered to auction the piece for me without taking a commission and will help me market the sculpture," Stoddart stated.
"It will be displayed at Sotheby’s in Edinburgh before being taken to London for auction probably in Spring. Hamilton and Inches jewelers in Edinburgh have also been helping me complete the project," he added.
In July 2022, Stoddart collaborated with Kenya Dyslexia Organisation to build a new school for the New RareGem Talent School in Nairobi.
During the project launch, Stoddart stated that he was influenced to start sculpturing by the impressive wildlife in Kenya.
“I’m trying to get them to the first stage to enable them to move out of their existing premises. Kenya is where it all started for me more than 30 years ago through the Hippo connection.
"The current school is in rented premises at the moment, but rents and running costs are rising all the time," Stoddart noted.
His previous pieces have been bought by other artists and even political leaders. Some of his pieces start retailing at Ksh250,000 with some going for even as high as Ksh4 million.
