urbanwasanii

After the first couple of input days we all started to get down to work. On Wednesday I sorted out the ‘nerve centre’, our space at the appeal court where we are keeping our ongoing documentation. This involved some slightly obsessive repositioning of tables (until I found what seemed like the right constellation) and setting up some display boards where we are keeping ongoing documentation of artists works in progress. 

On Thursday I spent the morning in Barsheba, a neighbourhood near Bombolulu where Ukoo Flani come from. As Ukoo Flani are an intrinsic part of the community, it is possible for artists to work fairly freely in public space, something which is obviously harder in the more regulated public spaces of Mombasa Island. Attracted by this possibility, together with the advantage of working really closely with the community, many of the artists have chosen to work here. 

One of the first artists I spoke to was Otieno Kota. Right at the entrance to Barsheba there is a tree stump and a metre further to the left, an unfinished wall. Kota had decided that this formed a kind of natural gateway, and he wanted to find objects to build up either side and link them at the top into an archway. He had begun to shape the trunk and was looking at ways of fixing objects to the wall. The creation of arch into Barsheba seems like a beautiful gesture, although it is by no means certain that this will emerge at the end. When I passed by on my way back out of Barsheba I came accross Kota transfixed by another trunk that he had found. ‘It looks just like a lizard’ he said. Whether this is incorporated into the arch remains to be seen.

After talking to Kota I found Phillip Nganga. Phillip was born in Busia to a Ugandan mother and Kikuyu father, but has lived in Barsheba ever since the early ’80s. He considers this his true home, as do his relatives in the rural sector who call him a ‘borntown’. Phillip is really into Graffiti, even tho there is not a big culture of graf here, and showed me the sketch of an Ukoo Flani piece he wanted to put up. The idea is to paint it in red, black and green (colours of the Kenyan flag). I will uddate you next week.

The other visual artist that we are working with from Barsheba is Edgar Odhiambo. Eddie is really into cartoons and illustration and is responsible for the art at the Hip Hop academy in Barsheba. He had not quite started work on Thursday as he was running around helping some of the other artists. We’ll get back to him next week.

I walked with Eddie through the neighbourhood until I reached a central area where several artists were working. They had chosen this open space within a few different houses with wall space and ground space that could be worked on. These kind of semi-public spaces within neighbourhoods such as Barsheba are interesting in terms of public space. They are used by members of the community for things such as washing and cooking, but legally I am not sure how they are owned by.

The shovel that Eddie was bearing was destined for Mihret Kebede. Mihret was sifting through some rubbish in search of useful and interesting objects. By complete chance she found what she had been searching for earlier that day on the beach, a net. When I asked her why she said that she wanted to make a trap! I left her with some ladies from the nearby houses washing the net for her.

Working just next to Mihret was Sheila Nakitende a multi discipline artist from Uganda. She was busy building a column from found wire, coconuts and beer cans. Apart from a bit of hassle from the local drunk, who assured me he worked for the Kenyan Special Forces, work seemed to be going quite well. It’s interesting that both Kota and Sheila had chosen these Classic forms. Perhaps this is an indication of what Art in public space is seen to represent. Perhaps..

Then, just a bit further on from Sheila I came across Samuel Koigi. Samuel had got straight down to work with a tyre and some hubcaps that he had found. Having sliced the tyre in two, put the hubcaps on either side and was beginning to build the chassis of his ghetto car from found flip flops. It was taking shape very nicely.

Leaving this open area I then wandered back to the local school. There I came across Isaac Chibua, Gordon Shamulenge and Mike Wafula. They were deciding which wall to work with to paint a joint mural, but had not got down to work yet. Eagerly awaiting.

And then, my last stop before heading back to the nerve centre was Evegenia Golant. She had begun to paint a mural of one of the local inhabitants who was posing for her. Apparently she posed without moving for almost 3 hours! Anyway, thats all for now. Will post something over the weekend.