What a timely exhibition is all I can say. And how important to see artists who are conscious of their surroundings and most importantly choosing to speak out about what they see and experience around them.
Archive: articles
Onyis Martin
I have always considered Onyis Martin as a big name– more so than any other Nairobi contemporary artist I’m familiar with- perhaps because I find his work to be so unique and intriguing, so charged with time and bearing the daily Nairobi urban life stories and politics.
Thadde Tewa on Onyis Martin
Onyis Martin in the studio with his “What is the new normal?” series | Kobo Trust, Nairobi | Photo: Eric Gitonga | 2020
Athi-Patra Ruga
Ruga, in the absence of archives, might rely too much on fabulation. References to Greek mythology, Christian iconography, Xhosa cosmology, and queer aesthetics make for dense readings but crowded works. There’s a lot to unpack.
Keely Shinners on Dramatis Personae of Athi-Patra Ruga
Sinyanga yekhala (detail), 2020
Azu Nwagbogu and Clémentine Deliss on Home Museum
“What I love about Home Museum is the sentimental value that all of us can relate to. It is not about the stars, but there to empower citizens.”
Azu Nwagbogu on the concept of The Home Museum
Portrait of Azu Nwagbogu and Clémentine Deliss in front of a sculpture of Ben Enwonwu outsde the National Museum of Nigeria, Lagos (photo: Ugochukwu Emebiriodo)
Waswad: Down in Napak
I’m not trying to be ‘African’. I’m not trying to prove anything. If you want to doubt if it’s African, look at the material the art is made of and look at the person making it. So I’m using local materials and the concepts I put across are indigenous to this place. I actually hate the title ‘African art’ because titles are for people who want to gain from this.