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Art.See.Africa — an art lover's guide

December 7, 2024

Brightly painted buses, enchanting objects made from garbage, and powerful performance art: Nairobi is the last stop on our journey to Africa's creative hot spots. Curator Nyambura Waruingi shows us her personal favorites.

https://p.dw.com/p/4noAq

With more than 5 million inhabitants, Nairobi is one of the fastest growing cities on the African continent.

DW Art See Africa | Curator and Art see Africa host Nyambura Waruingi
Curator and Art see Africa host Nyambura WaruingiImage: DW

In just over a century, the city has grown from a dreary train stop to a vibrant metropolis full of extremes: it's the only city in the world with its own national park.

Two thirds of Nairobi's inhabitants live in slums — at the same time, a dynamic art scene has developed.

Our guide through the Kenyan capital is curator Nyambura Waruingi. She takes us to meet one of the country's best-known artists.

Artist Cyrus Kabiru from Kenya holds up futuristic glasses to his eyes
Artist Cyrus Kabiru from Kenya Image: DW

Cyrus Kabiru grew up in one of Nairobi's largest slums and transforms garbage into miraculous objects, such as futuristic glasses.

Beatrice Wanjiku's powerful paintings explore the female body in a male-dominated world.

A dark chapter in Kenyan history inspired the artist Syowia Kyambi to create a haunting performance based on the Kenyan mothers movement from 1992, as women protested against the torture of their sons who were imprisoned as political dissidents. They eventually secured their release.

Artist Mose, aka Lithium, and host Nyambura Waruingi stand near a decorated bus
Artist Mose, aka Lithium, and host Nyambura WaruingiImage: DW

On our trip across the East African metropolis, we board one of the brightly painted matatus — the name of Nairobi's famous buses.

We visit the studio of the painter Peterson Kamwathi, whose works can be read as a commentary on Kenyan society. And we discover how Moira Bush Kimani reinterprets African mask art with her delicate artworks.

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About the show

DW Arts Unveiled (Serienlogo Composite)

Arts Unveiled — Experiencing and understanding the art world

Arts Unveiled dives deep into the international creative scene, uncovering new ideas and explaining cultural phenomena that shape our history, present and future. Who are the artists? What are their greatest works of art? And how are they having an impact? Where can we find their exciting projects?