Camouflaged in one of the many piles of tin trunks in the Jua Kali section of Nairobi's Gikomba Market, lies an underground bunker thats a workshop to a group of retired post-colonial aeronautic engineers. These craftsmen salvage parts from abandoned airplanes, modifying them into pieces of Furniture Art. The following is the story of the craftsmen, their furniture and the legacy of the brand GIKOSH that lives on up to this day.
Little is known about them till now....
SIMO - The Carpenter
The clumsy lady magnet and one clean cutting machine. He accidentally cut of his left leg one night after a bad breakup and by the following day he had already replaced it with a compact turbo charged Jet wheel. He’s obsessed with his looks, works out twice everyday and always has to look good for the ladies. On the other hand his work is clean, neat and precise.
Simo is allergic to his own sweat.
SUDI - The Engineer
He’s the shy genius and a master craftsman. Don’t let his height fool you, he’s responsible for discovering an element called Aero-Red which is a source of non-renewable energy that powers the workshop and his mechanical left hand. Constant exposure to the element Aero-Red has weakened his eye sight and needs special glasses he designed to see. Sudi is also responsible for fixing SIMO’s leg.
Sudi has 21 children.
SHOSHO - The Sander
The ex-weight lifter with a high temper. She was discharged from the Air Force after beating up one of her seniors officers for touching her hair. She’s always high from the pure Oxygen thats supplied by a valve attached permanently to her neck after an accident at the workshop left her with a punctured left lung. She’s the perfectionist and quality controller in the work chain.
Shosho is 107 years old.
SONI - The Scout
She’s a level 6 Karate black-belt holder with an enhanced powerful left kick and an aerodynamic physic. With a jetpack strapped on her back she spends most of her time airborne in the deserts and grasslands scouting for Airplanes that have been grounded or abandoned. As a loner, she’s also crafted her own weapons to survive the lonely nights in the wilderness. This is one fierce woman you don’t want to mess with.
Soni has a weakness for chocolate cake.
SOLO - The Welder
They say that he’s never shaved his beard from the day he met Bob Marley. As he grew older, and his hearing became impaired, he modified his protective head gear to include a surround speaker system to listen to reggae music while working. He’s the leader of the group and the perfectionist, always first to get in and last to leave the workshop.
Solo is a choir member in his local church.
THEIR FURNITURE ART 2018 COLLECTION
Tawny Eagle (Bar)
Albatross (Cabinet)
Blue Swallow (Bench)
Crested Crane (Shelf)
Falcon (Office Desk)
Fiscal Shrike (Conference Table)
Grey Heron (Cabinet)
Kingfisher (Office Desk)
Lilac Roller (Cabinet)
Night Owls (Floor Lamps)
