Olivier Mbarushimana carefully shows his beautiful woodworking collection at his workshop.
Most of these are lampshades, furniture, lamps, mirrors, and also sculptures.
Mbarushimana cuts, moulds and laminates the parts into finished items using a chisel and carving knife.
He scraps all of his wood artwork — this is the principal material for his epic pieces.
Production of each product starts with the processing of dried wood, which is later sawn into different parts which are then assembled into a specific product.
“We take some dried timber, we then choose the design we want and after that we choose hand tools or the machines we can use. After, we work on the product, we do its finishing in different stages, but this all depends on the products we choose or our client chooses,” he explains.
The craftsman works hard with his team to optimize the beauty and strength of the wood and give the customer a quality product that will last for years.
Venturing into this form of art and design was more of a discovery that drove him into the broad arc of woodwork, and he has never looked back ever since.
Two years ago when he began his workshop, Isubyo House of Arts, Mbarushimana aimed to combine art with the knack of modern wood design.
However, his inspiration comes from his admiration for exquisite wooden items , particularly those moulded with astounding creativity.
For this reason, fashion and style trends play an important part in his production choice.
However, when it comes to choosing the art form to make, the choice of the customer plays a bigger part, he says.
”At Isubyo House of Arts we are a team of artistes with a talent of creating anything made out of wood according to a client’s wish. We focus on how our clients prefer their designs and from these products, we get even more inspiration and designs,” the artisan says.
When it comes to pricing, each product ‘s cost depends on the kind of art work and design the customer selects, he notes.
With a number of similar projects in the picture, Mbarushimana says it doesn’t get easy to uphold the business but what makes him stand out is the standard of his products.
Making a living as a custom craft maker has come with a range of perks for Mbarushimana, but difficulties have also arisen, he says.
He addresses the problem of labor shortages, which he claims is difficult to locate, or calls for further preparation, and that this means additional expenses.
“We are faced with the challenge of lack of labour because in most cases when we hire, we have to first train workers for them to reach a certain standard,” he says.
He also adds that among other materials, they do not have enough hand tools and machines and this limits their work and output.
He is nevertheless proud of the work he has accomplished. What’s keeping him going is his determination and passion for his work.
The affordable, wooden house he built is among his best pieces. This, he claims, has been accentuated by creative interior design that has clearly elevated his innovativeness.
Although he does everything he can to survive in this area, Mbarushimana says as a youth they need more support and sponsors to help them financially.
“This will help us reach very far and also reach out to teach other young people who want to join this venture.”
Mbarushimana does intensive marketing, especially on social media platforms, in order to increase its visibility as an artisan in the market.
“We make marketing through our social media like our Instagram page called isubyoart250, our website called www.isubyo.com and through WhatsApp. When we stabilise ourselves financially, we will also use other media platforms like television, radio among others,” he says.
Going by his workshop’s current pace of achievements, Mbarushimana believes his work will indeed reach far and wide.
“Our future plans include serving as many clients here in Rwanda, and most importantly, traversing the international market. We also plan on teaching many youths so that we share our skills with them.”
See below some of Olivier Mbarushimana’s works:
