Creative artist on diversifying his craft
Thursday, March 25, 2021
A water fountain made by Ahimana. / Courtesy

Marthor Thacien Lucky Ahimana, 32, is a creative inventor, who basically sees an opportunity to create something unique out of what others see as a pickle.

He has, however, majored in making materials like water fountains, sculptures and many more from recycling scorned materials such as plastics, and blends them with cement and sand, among other ingredients.

The self-taught artist started his ingenious business in 2015, located in Masaka. When he was young, Ahimana loved messing up things, which enabled him to create diverse things.

With his continuous zeal to explore new art and learn new things, he soon expanded his business to exterior and interior design using bamboo, lighting and other materials that decorate homes, offices, and hotels.

Other than that, he makes hand washing machines out of plastics and tiles, which he distributes to different schools, homes and shops.

Some of his products cost about Rwf50, 000 to 300, 000 or more and thanks to his talent, he now fully depends on his craft with which he supports his family’s necessary needs.

One of the challenges he encountered in the beginning, however, was lack of market as his decorations and water pumps were new and customers were not aware of them. Winning their trust wasn’t easy, but with time, he has gained customers and his business is growing at a fair pace.

He currently employs six workers and has hopes of expanding the business by exporting his products and creating an art gallery where all art related stuff can be found.