Poilitics And Kenyan Art

Kenya Wed 08-08-2007

Poilitics And Kenyan Art
By Peterson Kamwathi

These are lyrics from a song by a Tanzanian artist, where he states that the artist/artiste is a mirror for the society. The artist allows the society to examine itself. One of the biggest challenges in life for me is a continual desire to have an understanding of what my role, duty and functions are to the society.

This question is not for me alone but for the artistic community in its entirety. What more can I do over and above satisfying the desire of the enlightened few who would by chance stumble upon my work. How will I, in what I create, contribute to the mental, social and financial growth of my audience? And for that matter who then do I classify as my audience? Looking at it from another perspective: who I’m I accountable to? Is it myself or the society?

These are questions that many people ask and yet have no concrete answers but rather everyone should do as much as they can and hope that their collective actions are enough to bring about change. And how fares the artist in Kenya? Early on in my career, my dreams and aspirations were all about self expression and creating beautiful artwork on various subjects.

I Remember one series where I painted a whole set of animal and bird eyes….. The lizards’ fiery gaze….the eagles’ piercing look….. A cat’s hypnotic pupil. Appreciation of beauty is an instinctive part of human nature. We all see beauty. Later, I started working on series dedicated to the 2002 general elections.

This change in direction stemmed from a desire for more, to become a voice among other voices involved in the process that educates, to advocate for change, to visually document the political and social process taking place around me. Yet despite creating work that has this aspect, have I made any lasting change or useful contribution? It’s difficult to determine if change that has been instigated by the artistic community within the society. Various projects have been carried out by the arts organizations within the community.

Although these projects have been and continue to be important in trying to introduce the community to art making in Kenya, but due to their short-term nature, lasting effects are yet to be felt in the community. This, in my opinion, stems from, the fact that the community and the studio do not meet, secondly the community and the gallery are worlds apart and finally the artist and the general public do not meet.

Most of our studios, at home or in an art centre are private spaces in gated communities. There is a small chance that just anyone can walk in and strike a conversation with the artist. in the traditional African setting, black smiths and sculptors and other crafts people occupied a central part in their communities.

Their work spaces were easily accessible to most members of the society and as such people were aware of their work and accepted them as part of their daily life and also part of their heritage. What people have access to, they will accept. For an artist it becomes very easy to exist only in the studio and your house.

Actually I’ve found that I spend more time in the studio than anywhere else. the problem is that the society exists on the outside. How can we comment on the society when we have no relationship? This is a good example of how artists so caught up in creating, lose touch of and have very little time for, the society. We end up speaking not from an experience but rather as spectators point of view.

Dialogue between the artists and the community is essential for lasting change.

The general public has not embraced a culture of visiting galleries or even artists studios for matter. This is something that can be cultivated with time but before then people need to get exposed to the creativity that exists among them, but so often goes unnoticed.

This can only be achieved when we are able to get the community involved in the creative process e.g. creating mural art. Within the community, putting up exhibitions in places where the general publicfrequent.

The artist I think is perfectly placed to comment any issue. I view art in its means of expression as being the perfect form of democracy. Art in all its disciplines acts as the perfect platform to address all issues affecting the individual and the society and the world.

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