Taabu. E, Trust the creative process

When you see a striking piece of art or a beautifully designed product, you immediately focus on the finished product and how much it cost. We rarely pay accolade to how much work, time and effort put into it and it really does not seem to be our fault. Hey, it’s not like we are exposed to how it came to life anyway, right? Well, I think it’s important we know that nothing good comes easy and it’s important to always keep that in mind.

Title; 1:42  Size; 124cm by 160cm  Media; Acrylic paints  Medium; canvas

Edna Taabu, well known as Taabu is the 2^nd place winner of the 2018 and 3^rd place winner of the 2019 Manjano art competition, student category. Exhibited at Nairobi museum, circle art gallery, kioko art gallery, Alliance Française Nyali and participated in Manjano art competitions and the Mask prize competition. She has been painting professionally for 3 years and her creative process is very meticulous. It can take up to 7 days for her to even begin painting as she starts with researching on the subject matter, materials and mediums that she would use. Then comes up with concept sketches, narrows them down to the perfect sketch and then begins the painting process. She pays attention to the durability of the materials that she uses to create, which I found to be very thoughtful and fascinating. Of Course she wants her art and hard work to last and serve the buyer as long as possible as well.

Title;OBLIVION  Size; 80cm by 60cm  Media; Acrylic paints  Medium; canvas

She started way back in high school doing calligraphy for students when they wanted to send letters to their friends in other schools but things got real when the art teacher invited artists from Buruburu Institute of fine arts to come give a talk and she was inspired. Finished high school joined Kenyatta University to pursue fine art and began to find her artistic style. Whenever a semester would end, she would sell her class work and people would buy it. This was when she realized that she could truly be an artist full time and make a career out of it. She did her attachment at kuona trust studio in 2017 and is currently doing an internship at Kobo trust studio.

Title;Morph`e I  Size; 60cm by 60cm  Media; Acrylic paints  Medium; canvas

“You are too young for your work to have a price tag that high” those words have been told to Taabu more times than they should have. What determines the price tag is how good you are at your skills and Taabu is exceptional.

Feel free to leave a comment.

Check out her Instagram profile @e.t_taabu and email her at ednataabu@gmail.com for commissions and to purchase her art.

Title; Day 2 Day  Size; 80cm by 60cm  Media; Acrylic paints  Medium; canvas

Esther Wanjiru, Art is in the culture

A lot of my friends find it difficult to understand why I am willing to spend my money and time going to an art exhibition. To my surprise I realized that there is a misconception that art enthusiasts just go to look at art and then go home, so I can’t really blame them. Am thinking it’s about time we switched it up because Art isn’t just meant to be looked at, with an open mind, art has the ability to give you a new perspective to life, entertain you with its beauty, inspire you to live your life fearlessly and the possibilities are endless.

The most important part of it all is the story behind the master piece and personally, that is what speaks to me the most. There is nothing I adore more than interacting with the artist either by reading about them online or asking them a few questions if they are at the gallery so that I can get the full experience.

Meet Esther Wanjiru, a 23 year old fine artist who has been painting professionally for 2 years now. Her fascination with old car’s aesthetic was how she started painting and up to date uses them to set a base for her art technique and skills. As she evolves as an artist, she strives to bring out the beauty she sees in the African people, her people and to preserve her culture as well as bring out the positive side of being African.

Esther’s love for art since she was a little girl is undeniable. Whenever she would have any extra time or felt home sick or even disappointed by life in boarding high school, she would indulge in arts and crafts for it was her safe place. Unfortunately in Africa, art has never been an obvious career choice. She was strongly discouraged to pursue her passion but instead study business because it was a more acceptable career in the eyes of the world.

Being the resilient person that she is, she managed to convince her parents to take her to Kenyatta University to study fine art and her art career has taken off since then. With her art going for tens of thousands of shillings, exhibiting in art competitions and showcasing at exclusive places like Karen country club, it’s safe to say that Esther is a clear example of what hard work, passion and consistency can achieve. Whenever you are at an art exhibition, look out for any art with the signature ‘ess’, that’s your girl Esther.

Feel free to follow and  DM her on Instagram @browngirl_ess for commissions and to purchase her art as well.