A Bermudian just returning home after living in Kenya for the past ten years has gathered an impressive art collection -- some pieces of which are on display at the Bermuda National Gallery.

The art is part of the Gallery's exhibition "The Art of Collecting Art'', highlighting the passion of collecting artwork in Bermuda. And Tanya Bascome Osewe's five-piece collection is as interesting for its originality as for its aesthetic value.

Mrs. Bascome Osewe, a long-time collector of fabric who studied fashion marketing, management and merchandising in New York, developed an interest in African art when she married Kenyan tour operator, Shadrock Osewe, and moved to Nairobi.

Her first visit to Kenya was in 1987, when she went with her parents and a group of friends.

"I was working for the airlines at the time, and a friend who I worked with was really adventurous -- he said he was going to Kenya and asked if anyone wanted to go,'' she said.

"I love to travel, and I was game to go anywhere -- I'd never been to Africa or to that side of the world. Kenya was different... the people were overwhelmingly friendly, more outgoing, more in-tune with people's needs.

"And the wildlife -- it was especially good for me because I liked photography,'' she noted.

After spending ten days in Kenya taking in the sights, Mrs. Bascome Osewe returned to Bermuda.

But 18 months later she returned to Kenya for another three-week trip to visit the infamous game parks -- and during the last four days of her trip, she met Shadrack, her tour guide: "We really didn't have a lot to say to each other, but when I left the country, he had more to say,'' she smiled.

Mrs. Bascome Osewe went back and forth between Bermuda, Kenya and other parts of Africa until the travelling became too exhausting.

So she returned to Kenya in 1989 and married Shadrack. The couple moved to a Nairobi suburb where they lived for the past ten years.

"In the beginning, it was a bit difficult for me because coming from this side (in Bermuda), things happen quite fast whereas in Kenya they're moving a bit slowly,'' Mrs. Osewe noted.

"In actual fact, it was good because you get a chance to slow down and see what's really going on and appreciate what's going on around you.'' About five years ago, Mrs. Bascome Osewe began working with a hotel chain in Kenya who asked her to redecorate their shop in a game park.

Through her position as purchaser and shop manager, Mrs. Bascome Osewe became exposed to African art and began to develop an interest.

Mr. and Mrs. Osewe returned to Bermuda this past September, and brought with them several pieces of African art, jewellry and textiles.

The pieces Mrs. Osewe has placed on display at the Gallery include: a Bokolonfii (Mud) cloth from the Bambara people of Mali, a silk screen on tie-died cotton entitled "Masai Marriage'', a wooden elder's chair from the Luba People of Democratic Republic of Congo, a stone sculpture from the Shona people of Zimbabwe entitled "United Family'' and a silk screen wall hanging from Zimbabwe.

"The Mud cloth is an unusual piece because it's normally done only in two colours, and this one is done in three -- brown, black and white,'' she noted.

"The chair is something I always wanted -- it's a nice corner piece and it's made from one piece of wood.'' The stone sculpture was chosen by Mr. Osewe while the couple was in Zimbabwe, and was selected because it was a "very African'' piece made of serpentine stone unique to that region.

"In Africa, there are no geometric angles, and if you look at this sculpture, it leans. It also depicts a traditional family situation,'' he noted.

Both the silk screen wall hanging and the "Masai Marriage'' tie-died cotton are contemporary pieces.

Mrs. Osewe said the pieces on display represent about a tenth of her total collection, which she selected primarily for its originality.

"I never really thought of myself as a collector -- a lot of the pieces I do have are pieces I came across that are not very popular, not very ordinary,'' Mrs. Bascome Osewe noted.

"They're pieces that I'm very attached to, because I know if I were to get rid of them, the possibility of getting another is quite slim,'' she added.

"I wouldn't say I have a lot of art, but it's taken me a long time to collect what I have because I've been so selective.'' "The Art of Collecting Art'', which also includes collections containing Boer War prisoner carvings, historic and contemporary Bermudiana, vintage photographs, and Dutch Old Masters, will be on display at the National Gallery until May 8.

ART COLLECTOR -- Tanya Bascome Osewe with mud cloth and serpentine sculpture, two pieces on show at the Bermuda National Gallery.