
Natural stone
- Classic crisp whites and soft greys to warm, natural earthy tones.
- Some designs keep that clean, minimalist stone texture. No two pieces are ever identical.

Tabaka soapstone carving · Kisii, Kenya
A family business from Kisii, Kenya, carrying on the Tabaka soapstone-carving tradition of the Abagusii people.
Sanchaari ID · SAN-M-000123
A family business from Kisii
Every single piece carries a story — from the soil the stone came from, down to the hands that shaped it.

Soapstone Gallery is a family business rooted right here in Kisii, Kenya, where soapstone carving is woven into the fabric of our local artistic heritage. Growing up around this craft, I've watched firsthand how raw stone pulled straight from the hills of Kisii is transformed into something meaningful.

Through hours of carving, sanding, and polishing, a plain hunk of stone becomes a striking sculpture, a functional chess set, or a cherished gift. For us, this goes way beyond buying and selling items: it's about keeping a generations-old tradition alive, celebrating the raw talent of our people, and sharing a genuine piece of Kenya's cultural heart with the world.
The culture



The art
Raw stone pulled straight from the hills of Kisii, carved, sanded and polished by hand.
Kisii soapstone
A natural stone in whites, greys and earthy tones; no two pieces alike.
Hand-painted colour
Used on some designs to bring out artistic details.
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Watch & listen
Polishing a piece by hand
Carving a piece from the raw stone

A finished piece of soapstone art is a true community effort, and every stage involves specialised hands. Young men from the community source and extract the raw soapstone from the hills. Experienced master craftsmen carve it into its initial form. Sanding and polishing is entirely the domain of the women in our operation — it requires immense patience and an eye for detail, and gives the stone its butter-smooth finish and gorgeous shine. Men and women brainstorm design ideas together, while our team handles cleaning, sorting and careful packaging. Local transporters make sure materials and finished products move safely. When you hold one of our pieces, you're holding the collective work of carvers, polishers, designers and handlers.

Every order is a direct lifeline for our community. It reaches everyone along the chain: the extractors, the carvers, the women spending hours polishing, and the packaging team. Consistent orders mean steady income, allowing artisans to feed their families, send children to school, and keep their generational craft alive with pride.
We love collaborating and understanding what our partners are looking for, whether that is a specific collection, bespoke corporate gifts, or pieces tailored for hospitality spaces. Wholesale pricing, packaging, delivery and custom requests can be discussed directly.
A few of the pieces made in our workshop in Kisii: polished soapstone sculptures, hand-painted vases and hand-carved stools.



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