Samuel Githui 1970 Kenya - Kenyan Artist ZEBRA CROSSINGS, WHERE RICH AND POOR MEET

Samuel Githui

Samuel Githui was born in 1973 in Kenya. He studied visual arts at the Creative Art Centre in Nairobi and survived in the city by painting billboards and signs. Later, Githui won several national competitions including the Kenya Museum Society Art Festival and the Alliance Française and the Goethe Institut Juried Art Competition. He has also participated in the East African Biennale in Bujumbura and Kigale. Githui was selected for an artist in residence program in Venice, Italy and his residency work was exhibited in the show “Art Enclosures” in the same city. 

 

Samuel Githui

Neighbour

 Taarabu

Samuel Githui

Bui-Bui

Samuel Githui has attended art residencies in Italy and seen what international artists ask for and often obtain on the European art market. His art is even in permanent museum collections overseas.

 

Zebra Crossing is filled with images of busy Nairobi life, like Ya Leo which is a portrait of a mitumbia (second hand clothes) seller scrubbing his wares so they look like ‘new’ once he takes them to the street for sale.

The only evidence of the Big Man in the show is Kanjo, which is Sheng for the scary City Council guys who drive around in large Land Rovers and demand bribes from the locals.

Currently preparing for the next East African Biennale in Bujumbura, he just took part in this year’s EAB in Kigale, the only Kenyan attending. Locally, he’s exhibited at Nairobi National Museum, at Gallery Watatu, the late RaMoMa Museum and Le Rustique restaurant.

Having exhibited both locally and abroad, Githui has come a long way since he dropped out of CAC. But he still lives in Donholm and stays in close range of glaring inequalities of Kenyan everyday life. His portraits are powerful reflecting people’s struggles to cope with the harsh realities of their lives.

Ironically, the rich man is barely visible in Githui’s art. Instead, it’s filled with humble folk: many men on bicycles, one with hessian sacks (Gunia) at the back, another riding in the pouring rain (Mvua Kali), another stuck with a broken chain (Nyororo).

He’s painted casual laborers (Vibarua) wondering where to go next, a family on foot loaded with all their belongings (Bwana na Bibi) and a young lad waiting in line to buy 20 bob of airtime (Bamba), symbolic, Githui says Bamba is symbolic since youth generally have much to say about solving Kenya’s social problems, but no one’s listening.

 By Margaretta wa Gacheru

Samuel Githui

Lamu Seafront 1

 in Nairobi...

Samuel Githui

    Dhow Race

 Samuel Githui's Kusimama na Kumi 

 Samuel Githui's Mitungi

  Samuel Githui's Rasta, a Rastafarian. Pix by Marta Obiegla

 One of Githui's best examples of the contrast in Nairobi between rich and poor, skyscrapers vs matatus. Pix: Marta Obiegla

 Bamba (Air time): A man stands in line to buy airtime for his cell phone. Pix: Marta Obiegla

     Kwa Mataa: Waiting for the Traffic Light to Change. Pix by Marta Obiegla

 Samuel Githui
Dhows in front of Shela

  Githui - Mifuko Pix: Marta Obiegla

Samuel Githui

        Habibti House

 Samuel Githui

Omar

Samuel Githui

Lamu Seafront 2

 Rat Race , 2015 

Sinking-Sand

Monday morning

Donkey race by Samuel Githui 

Samuel Githui

Mararani

Samuel Githui

Matondoni

 Samuel Githui

Domino

Samuel Githui

Mzee

 “Bus Strike” by Samuel Githui

 Samuel Githui · Mananasi

Samuel-Githui,-Fahali-Wawili,-details-[two-bulls ...West Vs East on Africa)

hatua-na-kuruka

Celebrazione delle grande migrazione degli gnu di Samuel Githui 

“Mteremko (Downhill)” / Oil on canvas (Diptych) / 274cm x 83cm 

 Samuel githui. 'Safarini' triptych. 2015. oil on canvas

Samuel Githui 

Villa Rosa Kempinski General Manager, Manish Namibar (right) poses for a photo with the winning bid painting and painter Samuel Githui (centre) during the Wasanii Jukwani Art Exhibition and Auction. PHOTO FRANSOIR NDERITU

...a suivre...