A few words about your artistic career
I studied at Buruburu Institute of Fine Art 2010. In my art I use a range of materials and techniques to visualise my message and thoughts. I have exhibited my work in numerous art shows in East Africa, Europe, the United States and Australia. Recently, I won the first "Manjano 2018" Award.
How long have you been an artist?
I started my practice in 2012 as a commercial artist; and later transited into contemporary practice from 2015.
Why did you apply for this scholarship? How will the scholarship support you?
As part of this generation of artists facing a pandemic, this grant offers me the opportunity to express myself at this difficult time. It challenges me to explore new ways of being creative, to reach new audiences while using my creativity, intelligence and resources to raise awareness in my community and beyond.
What are your concrete artistic objectives after this residency?
To use the experience and lessons of this period to direct my practice and use my work to influence social change while pushing new frontiers in our global communities.
**What did you achieve during this creative residency? What is the result (work created)? Who was involved in the creative process?
I've managed to create a new body of work as part of the 'We breathe or we breathe' project. The series of 13 new drawings is entitled "Blossoms in orbit". More than a dozen people living around the landfill agreed to share their experiences of the pandemic. I used their stories to translate them into new works. The landfill workers helped me collect the magazines and sell them. I had an assistant in the studio, a photographer and a carpenter who made frames.
How do you think these activities help us to think about the world today, in relation to the COVID-19 crisis, and/or about building for the future?
I believe that people of this generation are best placed to document and tell the stories and experiences of their fears and triumphs during the Covid-19 crisis. This is helping to shape the future by passing on lessons of survival through the pandemic by publishing the material we are documenting today.
**How did you feel during the residency? And afterwards?
I felt honoured to be among the artists supported to bear witness and express themselves in the difficult times of our times. I was right, and I hope that my work and my experiences have found a voice through this residency.
[(
We breathe or we breathe
)]
