Dennis Muraguri is a member of http://kuonatrust.org/ in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Last Capitalist (detail).
About:
Dennis Muraguri is a Kenyan artist who was born in 1980 in Naivasha. He attended the Buru Buru Institute of Fine Arts in Nairobi between 2000-2003, where he graduated top of his class and attained a Diploma in Painting and History of Art.
Muraguris sculptures are a representations of the industrialization in Kenya and most of them are inspired by music, as can be seen his use of parts of instruments or metal shaped as such. All sculptures are mixed media where wood and metal are combined. The metal used represents the people who manufacture all kinds of things. The wood, on the other hand, symbolizes the natural side of life. Muraguri says he finds the overall inspiration for both his paintings and sculptures in globalization. The message in Muraguris work is positive and reflective, it tells the story that Africa is no longer the ‘Dark Continent’ but it is becoming more and more modernized and affected by technology.
I’m currently working on a body of work inspired by “matatus” [Kenyan vehicles for taxiing passengers] .Other than being the main mode of transport, they are visually iconic and their ever changing presence and operations is intriguing .As an artist this is a fertile source of material and entertainment as they are also reflective of the society in many ways and are kind of a big deal .Also as the government struggles to bring to order the once rogue and ignored matatu industry it brings with it interesting changes .
