Kaloki Nyamai

The Völklingen Ironworks flooded in red light
Copyright: Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte | Oliver Dietze

Kaloki Nyamai im Weltkulturerbe Voelklinger Huette

Kaloki Nyamai im Weltkulturerbe Voelklinger Huette
Copyright: Ralf Beil

born 1958 in Kenya
lives and works in Nairobi, Kenya

Web presence

Instagram: Kaloki Nyamai (@kalokinyamaistudio) • Instagram-Fotos und -Videos

Works

Dining in Chaos Series, Detail

Date
2023

Material
Canvas, mixed media, acrylic, collaged embroidery on canvas

Description

Kenyan artist Kaloki Nyamai presents a distinctive fusion of traditional and contemporary perspectives. Through his paintings and installations, he engages in complex visual storytelling that delves into the interpretation of historical narratives within a contemporary context.

In THE TRUE SIZE OF AFRICA, six of Nyamai’s large-scale works form an immersive installation, with pieces from three different phases of his oeuvre. Ithakwa was exhibited in the Kenyan Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022. Following this, he created the three paintings Tusukane nzwee, nietela mumine, and Osa Kuoko II as part of his series Dining in Chaos (2023–24), where he embraced chaos as a metaphor for the tumultuous beauty of our times. Additionally, produced especially for THE TRUE SIZE OF AFRICA, the two paintings Vaa Ni Vala Twa Mbeiye and Nikuonete Muno examine the aftermath of social unrest, exploring the intersection of historical trauma and the hope for regeneration.

Exhibitions