Mukabi…ism

(The new movement in town)

Mukabi aka Panye, Omar Kasongo, Muyela or to kids simply as Uncle Supuu is probably the most recognizable artist in the region (that’s debatable I know). Whether for his provocative paintings of ‘healthy women’ or for his physical presence. A walk with him in downtown Nairobi is always frustrating as he keeps on stopping to chat to everyone – from his models, school children, corporate CEOs to street urchins.

Trained as a graphic designer at the Creative Art Centre and The Kenya Polytechnic, he has had an interesting career. As part of the pioneers of what is now referred to as “the 2^nd" generation of Kenyan artists, he came through the ranks in the early 1990s.

Few practicing artists; whether 1^st, 2^nd or even the emerging 3^rd generation can claim to have not experienced him.

From the mid 90s at the museum studio, most artists out of school would find tutelage from him; from basics such as where to find cheaply priced art materials to exercising your skill on canvas, how to price your work to how to ‘talk’ to prospective clients.

15 years later and lots of water under the bridge, much has changed, and more has stayed the same. Most artists ‘get there’ and isolate themselves. They hide in their private studios and rarely attend other (read not very commercially successful) artists’ events; but Panye has remained – just Panye.

Coupled with the lack of free & easily accessible communal spaces for young/emerging artists, and the failure of local arts schools to adapt to a modern curriculum, most youngsters know only one place to go to for apprenticeship…. Studio ya Panye.

A visit to his space and you bump into a handful of young adults ‘learning’ from him. They come from all over because this is probably the only place where you can come in with basic skills, get art making materials, make your art and probably showcase it ‘with no strings attached.’

Some of them are very skilled painters from the hours spent alongside Panye. However as with any ‘master-student” relationship, most aspire to be like the master.

There seems to a new movement, Mukabi..ism.

Whether this is good or bad, am not so sure. The question is why do these youngsters decide only Panye can and not the numerous artists and art institutions in Nairobi?

In a show recently held @ Kuona Trust Centre for visual Arts, 10 of the 25 works submitted were by his students, with a large chunk from Kijiji Art Studios run by artist Mike Wafula (story for another day) and only one from the university.

A chat with some of them was that Panye’s studio provided a one stop shop for anyone with the intent of getting into art practice.

This is a crop of what may in future be referred as the 3^rd generation of Kenyan artists and for sure there is a little bit of Panye in them. They paint like him; voluptuous women, similar palettes and look up to him as big brother, mentor and role model.

Some people are shocked when they walk into an exhibition and see familiar paintings only to see names like Kennedy Otieno, Alex Mbevo, Dickson Kaloki, Wilson Matunda etc.

Does this bother him? “Not at all,” Says he. “I just try to do what is right and if I end up having influenced a new generation of artists, I’ll have left my mark in the world. I also started out painting like Michelangelo but look at me now. ”

I cheekily refer to the movement as Mukabi…ism and he lights up saying, “That’d be fantastic. Imagine your kids studying me in art school. They’ll eventually discover themselves and life after my apprenticeship.”

Only time will tell.

Intellectual Property Rights in Kenya

Artists have different definitions, opinions and philosophies on everything about art - from what art is; what constitutes good art; who a successful artist is etc.

One thing however they all agree on is the issue of copyrights and intellectual property rights, especially when it comes to their work.

My definition of copyright in reference to the visual arts (a slightly twisted definition of Wikipedia & the Oxford dictionary combined) is that it is the exclusive right of ownership to the creator of the original work of art (read the artist).

In Kenya, the code that governs copyright is vague and easy to manipulate. It is administered by the Kenya copyright board which was created as a statutory body by the Copyright Act of 2001. The first Board was appointed in May 2001 and comprises 17 members drawn from both the public and private sectors. From the Private sector, there are seven members representing the software, producers of sound recordings, publishers, film distributors, performers, broadcasting stations and audio visual industry (no representation from the visual arts).

There are four experts on copyright and related rights and five representatives from the Office of the Attorney General, Commissioner of Police, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Gender, Sports and Culture, and the Ministry of Finance and an Executive Director.

The board is mandated to among other things; Direct, co ordinate and oversee the implementation of laws, international treaties to which Kenya is party to, License and supervise the activities of Collective Management Organizations, Devise and carry out training and sensitization programs on copyright and related rights in Kenya, Update copyright legislation and Maintain an effective database on copyright and related rights in Kenya .

Whether it does this (or not) is debatable! But a look at recent discussions and events in the Kenyan creative industry suggests that the laws only exist on paper; or in the minds of the copyright board members.

Firstly, the rules seem to be copy-pasted from someone else’s set of rules without really understanding what they mean or how they apply in the Kenyan context.

The board’s representation is also questionable as it is biased towards music and digital media with government agents not adequately equipped with relevant information.

This makes it operate more like the Music Copyright Society of Kenya with all their energy seemingly channeled towards music and popular culture leaving visual arts unprotected and at the mercy of goodwill from art practitioners thus just governed by “a gentlemen’s agreement”

This however leaves artists on very precarious ground as on numerous occasions, their intellectual rights have been infringed by greedy and unscrupulous agents who know the loopholes in the rules and are able to bend and manipulate them. When this happens, the artist is normally left punching in the dark with no one in authority understanding his predicament hence vicious cycle continues.

As a result, most artists have passed on genuine opportunities in an attempt to avoid rogue agents or have come up with their own set of rules that you either have to ”take or leave” if you want work with them.

And from any government agent you can reach, they got a well memorized line that goes something like, “You have to form an association that can use to petition… lobby… the government doesn’t listen to individuals.”

In the meantime, someone’s getting paid every month!

Kiamumbi Social Club

Until 10 years ago, the word Kiamumbi did not exist in many people’s vocabulary. The tiny dusty village en-route to Kahawa West was just a settlement for workers of the last coffee farms 15 km north of Nairobi or those passing through to visit relatives and friends at the notorious Kamiti Maximum Prison.

The year 2000 saw a change in this as Richard Kimathi became the first artist to settle there. A bunch of artist friends would occasionally visit during weekend lunch, booze and informal critic sessions that over the next 3 years, Kiamumbi had 7 artists living in a radius of 5 km. First in were brothers Anthony Okello & Peter Walala, then came John Kamicha followed by his dad; first generation Kenyan artist Zachariah Mbutha, then Ogonga Thom & a little later came in Eric Origa 1000 km Lodwar.

Over the next couple of years, Kiamumbi developed both commercially and artistically. Improved infrastructure and new settlement also encouraged people to move away from the hustle & bustle of the city to the more serene environment.

With the 7 artists working daily in their individual spaces and regularly showing works in Nairobi, there was a lot of interest in the community and what started as curious visits mutated into “art pilgrimages.”

Though some artists have moved out for different reasons, Kiamumbi is bubbling more than ever before with dynamic artists studios. A visit takes you to four studios where you are guaranteed to find some of Kenya’s finest working.

Depending on which direction you come from, the first stop almost inevitably leads you to Kimathi’s studio. Kim works in one of the most interesting spaces an artist can have. His studio is a room that was meant to be a hair salon (studio) so has shelves and mirrors all over.

Regardless of his success, Kim is pretty modest. He always has time for visitors and it’s probably the only studio where you are guaranteed a cup of tea with honey and peanut butter sandwiches.

A run through his work and philosophy behind it leaves you breathless. You can never fail to notice his music collection.

A walk a mile down the road leads to “Plot 10” the compound that houses Okello’s studio. The complex is named so as it’s an almost identical copy of an estate by the same name from a Kenyan TV series of the 1990s.

As you walk through the gate, you don’t fail to notice the neighbours’ curious gazes. Okello is one of the most eccentric artists and isn’t shy making some of his creations in view of his neighbours. Some of which can be quite disturbing works; like those created for the Stereotype Exhibition Series. His space is quite inviting and has the constant smell of oil paints.

Okello’s works are deep and rich but he always talks nonchalantly about the process as opposed to the content. He’s also very experimental and whenever he takes a break from his work, it is to hang out with the neighbour’s cat that he seems to have “adopted” and never leaves his studio. We leave Okello’s & and head off to Kamicha’s.

Kamicha’s studio is tucked in a nondescript residential building that once you get in, are met by materials strewn all over the place. The space is cluttered with a little bit of everything, from khangas, paint, canvas, stretchers, wood and bicycle parts.

His work is very experimental and quite concept based. Kamicha’s almost always not sure what he’s working on at the moment but there’s always something he was on before you got in and he’s always got time to animatedly discuss the politics of the local art scene.

You never miss to spot that ‘controversial’ piece of literature in the space or a well reviewed author. The dude loves to read.

Next stop, Peter Walala. His studio and house are inseparable. Walala has an expansive garden where he does monumental works and he shuttles all over the space from the sitting room to the kitchen depending on what he’s doing.

A prolific sculptor, his space is littered with lots of logs, stones and some amazing papier mache pieces. A trip to the sculptor’s studio is always amazing and just being there as Walala playfully transforms his materials into sculptures is magical.

In between work, he takes time off to play with his golden retriever, Goldie.

Seeing four crazy (in a good way) artists in one afternoon is always refreshing and catching up afterwards – whether for a coffee or fine scotch crowns it all. It’s not everyday that you get to hang out with multi-talented award winning artists and it’s always worth the while.

Away from the art, these guys are funny! Kim holds the ultimate record of having the largest collection of music CDs (I wager a beer on anyone who beats this); Okello and Kamicha are cycling addicts and collect state-of-the-art mountain bikes. They do 100km like you’d do a shot of whisky; Walala, away from sculpting spends time dismantling and re-assembling the engine of his 1984 Fiat Uno.

These guys have made the rest of the world know there is a not-so-sleepy village called Kiamumbi somewhere on your way to the big bad prison 15 km north of Nairobi and sometimes, they make me wish I was their neighbour.

In the beginning…

(An artist’s story as narrated by Michael Soi & Richard Kimathi)

Most people have near perfect stories of how they got to where they are today. For some, it was a fool-proof plan well orchestrated and implemented to the letter. For others, it was a divine calling. This one, as told by Kim & Soi, sounds like stuff out of Hollywood.

In 1997, long before cellular phones and emails were accessible in Kenya, a young man was sent by his family to deliver a very important message to his younger brother who lived 500km away in the city.

The younger brother was an apprentice artist in a communal artists studio shared by about 15 other young artists who were trying to cut a niche for themselves having been locked out of the Gallery Watatu circuit.

It was a tiny space bubbling with energy of young, prolific, rebellious and highly ambitious artists, some from art school, some just rough diamonds; most of whom were bound to go places. It was just a matter of when they’d hit the main circuit big time!

Upon arrival, and delivery of the message, the elder brother decided to spend a couple of days in the city and was only natural he’d hang around the studio.

At the time were the 2 biggest events in the Nairobi art calendar: The East African Industries Art Competition & the Kenya Museum Society Arts Festival, all happening in the same space.

Hanging around the arts and the artist exposed the elder brother to all these ‘amazing’ processes and artworks. Hanging out with Richard Kimathi, who’d just won the most promising artist award, and seeing how easy it was to ‘sell art’ and ‘the life’ the artists lived, led him to make a decision that is still talked about til now.

He resigned from his job, and bought paper to start printmaking the following day!

Fast forward 5, 6 years later…….

Today, the elder brother continues his artistic practice having participated in a handful of solo projects alongside a couple of local and international workshops & residencies and continues to enjoy a reputation as one the most prolific artists in the scene alongside Kim & Soi.

What of the younger brother? That’s a story for another day.