Who said we have to pick one career path to follow for the rest of our lives? Dylan is a Kenyan creative consultant, 2D & 3D animator, digital artist, comedian and so much more. I found his artistic style every interesting and distinct. In the interview, he talks about how he got into design and how he develops his style.
Check out his Instagram page @dylan_is_who_i_be
Hey guys, welcome back to another podcast interview! todays interview is a talented Kenyan caricature artists who also does graphic design. His name is Wyla and he also does live art for events. To get in touch with him, his email and socials are linked down below.
Email: allanjuma01@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_wyla/
Hey guy, todays interview on the podcast is with a very talented graffiti artist called Mr. Detail Seven. He talks about how he started, his list of mentors and how he would like to take graffiti art mainstream. Questions like how he makes money as a graffiti artist, bringing graffiti art into offices and cooperate spaces are all answered by Mr. Detail. Mr. Detail Seven has incredible merchandise that you should check out.
Links bellow: https://www.instagram.com/detail.seve… https://www.instagram.com/mr.detail.s…
Allan Simba, a Kenyan artist with a very distinct style talks about his journey of self discovery, inspiration behind his work & what goes down in his DMs 😉. Grab a notebook and get comfortable because this podcast interview if full of gems.
His social: https://www.instagram.com/allan_simba/
Very excited to introduce to you Njung’e Wanjiru, an award winning animator, director & visual artist from Kenya. Am sure you will learn a lot and get inspired by his work. He shares his story on how he started out as an artist, what inspires him and how we can use our creative skills to serve our community. Full interview on Uncurated Podcast.
Graffiti art, in my opinion, is a type of art genre that feel the most liberated. The art form can take so many forms such a typography or portraiture, and still communicate the message the artist is intending to convey. Regardless of how you personally feel about graffiti art, we cannot deny the impact it has on our society. Let’s be honest, in most cases, graffiti artist say what we are thinking but too afraid to say out loud.
Here is a list of Kenyan graffiti artists you should know in 2022. Click on each name to see their work. Thank me later.
@mr.detail.seven, @kaymist4, @musasia_, @chelwek, @swift9graffiti, @bankslave, @stick_1er, @smokillah, @sermone285, @daddo_omutitii
I recently saw a meme that said ‘welcome to April 2020, you have now arrived at level 4 of Jumanji’ i laughed so hard. If you really think about it, 2020 does feel like we are in a video game and every month has its own unexpected challenges for us to deal with. The corona virus has dramatically changed how we work, learn and interact with others. Here at the Esthete movement, we hope you are learning to cope with the changes in our society and get inspired by the artists and art we will continue to post.
As many of you are aware, the coronavirus has drastically changed how we live our lives and will, in fact, heavily impact the world’s economy. In light of this information we decided to reach out to young artists in Kenya to find out how COVID-19 has affected their careers and how we can help them stay afloat even in these uncertain times.
One of the biggest concerns was the shutdown of the exhibitions due to the bun on social gatherings. Museums and exhibitions play a very important role in the exposure and selling of art so without them, a lot of artists will have a hard time getting any income. Another issue brought up by the artists was that they are noticing a shift in the spending habits of their customers. It seems that people are now opting to save up money or buy other products deemed essential compared to buying art as it is considered a luxury.
“Most of my clientele are foreigners. The ban on international travel and lock-down in the country has greatly affected my business. I will be forced to venture into other side hustles to try and generate money for survival.” caleb owoko
The artists are also forced to split the little that they have between stocking up food, paying rent, art supplies, studio rent and other bills with no clear picture of the fate of their careers.
Essential materials to create are seemily more difficult to access. Whatever is available, has been doubled in price. This makes it even more strenuous to produce work and affect the motivation of the artist. ‘Stay home to stay safe’ is a mantra we are well used to by now. Social distancing is very important to lessen the spread of the virus. The change in how we interact with each other will also change art as we know it. Some artists draw inspiration from human interaction and how they experience intimacy.
“movement and interacting with people has been a huge source of inspiration for my art and the lock-down as well as the social distancing has affected my work” Hanningtone
Fortunately, not all of the effects of COVID-19 are negative for an artist. A Lot of artists are using this time to create art that is true to who they are and the community around them. Creating work that is either educative or aspirational for consumers and members of their society.
“The changes have created the perfect environment for me to expound on my research for my upcoming collection called ‘last days’. I intend to create a personal body of work that deliberately speaks about our current time and what to expect.” Andrew Chege
“As an artist, I would advise a collector to buy art created during this time because it will be of quality and have profound historical significance.” Sam Muiga
As to how you can be of assistance, there are various ways to support fine artists and they have shared a few. One of the simplest yet most effective ways you can help is to share, like, comment, re-post and follow Kenyan artists online. Whichever social media platform you use, please support all Kenyan artists to enable them to reach a wider audience and potentially make a sale.
Another is to donate money or supplies to artists.if you know any artist personally, we suggest giving them a call and find out how they are coping.
“Financial aid would be a big help to ensure that I continue to live my dream and work hard to produce work regardless of the situation. This will in turn allow me to prepare for what comes after the pandemic.” Taabu.E
As we are readjusting to our new norms and trying to survive, let’s not forget to check up on our neighbors to make sure they are also doing ok. Please find time to reach out and support those who strive to preserve our culture and heritage.
Austin Nyaruiya is a graphic designer, painter, and sculptor who started all the way back in kindergarten with crayons, plasticine, and mud. As he got older, he began doing pencil sketches and later painting and graphic design. He now does a lot of graphic design commissions and has exhibited at Kioko art gallery and the first edition of Art fusion at the Jukwaa lounge. Austin, who signs his art as kamande, is inspired by various topics that have affected him and society as a whole. Art is his way of communicating his perspective on life and his experiences freely. The liberation that art gives him as a young person in this generation is just one of the reasons he continues to create even when his work is considered controversial.
Maasai playing trumpet
Some of the topics he speaks about involve contemporary social issues such as the “sponyo” culture, the “wannabe” culture and Nairobi nightlife. He is also passionate about the battle of identity among the African youth as they are persistently influenced by western cultures while still struggling to hold on to their African heritage. Being raised in a Christian home has influenced his work as he occasionally finds inspiration from the bible during his devotion.
Sponyo sponyo
Support young talent by purchasing his art that you can find on his Behance account @Austin Kamande, Instagram account @ngaruiya_kamande or email him kamandengaruiya@gmail.com
Dunda(kirombosi)
Above is a painting that was done by Delima that represents the transition from childhood to old age. The center focus is the old woman and the younger versions of her blurred out on each side.
Delima Atieno began her journey as an artist with watercolor paint. She later joined University to study fine art and began exploring other mediums such as acrylic paint and metal. She is a semi-realistic painter that focuses on Kenyan culture especially women from the plain Nilotes community. She is intrigued by their adornment, specifically their body art and beaded metallic jewelry. An important part of her work is communicating the emotions that women go through in their day to day lives. Delima is passionate about aesthetics, beauty, and originality which translate to her work.
Check out her Instagram account @made_by_Delima email: delimaodie19@gmail.com
As it is human nature to be competitive, we tend to unconsciously strive to be better than everyone else in our craft, to be the best. This keeps us motivated and on our toes making sure we stay ahead of the curve. The urge to stay relevant and be the most successful has become more of a priority to satisfy over happiness and fulfillment in these modern days. What a time to be alive, right?
Brian Sawe is a 21 year old artist who doesn’t study art in a traditional sense but practices it because he enjoys it. Driven by spontaneous impulses, he rarely plans out what he is going to create and allows the universe to inspire him. This is his way of making sure that his work is pure in the sense that it’s authentic and passionate. What he intends to communicate through his work is a moment that he experienced and you get to view it through his eyes.
Check out his work @sawe.sabrian and email him briansawe97@gmail.com
Uncurated Podcast 