Kisumu artist Collins Omondi Okello, the brains behind the viral Raila Odinga tribute artwork, has finally acquired the copyright of the artwork safeguarding full ownership and right over its commercial use.
The hauntingly lovely piece, named “Sunset of The Enigma,” swept Kenyans on social media off their feet with its emotional depth and sheer beauty at depicting the former Prime Minister against a golden sunset. The image has been shared far and wide, on merchandise, and used in online memorials with no credit given to the artist, very often.
In a Saturday, October 18, emotional Facebook post, Collins was angry and proud. Grateful as he was for the exposure the art has received, he was angered by how many people and organizations used the image to their advantage or profited from it without his permission, at times cropping off his watermark or reposting without credit.
“I am happy to say that the image has finally been copyrighted. It’s now formally trademarked in my name,” Collins said. “Some have copied it freely or even for gain without acknowledgment, but this move means I can own and safeguard my work as much as possible.”
Testified by a certificate provided by the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), the work has been registered under the Artistic Works category with the title “Sunset of The Enigma” and RZ81855.
Collins, the gifted sketch artist who rose to fame nearly a decade ago for his earlier portrait of Raila Odinga, has since then emerged as one of Kenya’s most celebrated digital artists. His latest choice to register his work for copyright is not only the success of his own art but also the quest for intellectual property rights among Kenyan artists.
His fans and fellow artists have since flooded his page with congratulatory messages, praising him for standing up for his work and inspiring other creators in the industry to do the same.
