Making Nairobi's walls speak

Murals are one of the oldest art forms, an expression of history, aesthetics, culture and politics. Yet beyond commercial advertising messages, very few purely artistic murals exist in East Africa's cities. Tereneh Mosley reports on an ambitious project to turn fine art out on to the streets of the Kenyan capital

A DOVE RISES IN FLIGHT; a trio of mythical creatures sits in repose, as an elephant and a giraffe parade down River Road. Two women silently and unknowingly pass Nairobi’s latest piece of artwork. The mural in white, grey and silver marks the formerly blighted, unnoticeable, and all too-familiar corrugated steel wall marking the beginning or end of a building. This and two other murals, including one at the National Museums of Kenya, are the work of Kenyan artists Lydia Galavu, John Kamicha, Sam Kimemia, Simon Muriithi, Martin Muhoro, Faith Nancy, Peter Walala, Jeff Wambugu, Willie Wamuti, Emma Zaidi and visiting American muralist Alex Cook, all brought together by the website AfricanColours.net in their first ever public Mural Project.

"The vibrant colours and images on the matatus, the energy and light of the marketplace are all part of the life of Nairobi," says AfricanColours director Andrew Njoroge. "However, we wanted to add to the vocabulary of culture in Kenya by creating murals, an important public art form, to express Nairobi now – taking art out of the institutions and turning it literally out into the street."

Murals are one of the oldest art forms, from prehistory to Ancient Egypt and the Italian Renaissance to the political protests in 1960-70s Europe and America; the mural is an expression of history, aesthetics, culture and politics. Yet beyond the commercial advertising messages of corporate logos and the like, very few purely artistic murals exist in Nairobi.

And just why have murals lasted so long as an art form and why are they important now?

"Why murals?" Alex Cook answers, "Because feelings we may not be able to communicate in spoken language, we can do in pictures. Murals are where art stands up and asserts its nature. When we embrace art in our communities we open a door to ourselves."

But when Cook arrived in Kenya after an 11,000-kilometre flight from Boston in the US, he discovered he had in fact no murals to paint at all. "Our original plans fell through," remembers Andrew Njoroge. "So, one Monday, we called our staff and Alex into the AfricanColours office and asked: ‘Well, what are we going to do now?’ To be honest we were not feeling very optimistic that day."

Which begs the question: How did a guy from Boston end up in Kenya to paint murals? "I e-mailed AfricanColours just off their web page," explains Cook. "I was interested in travelling to Kenya but wanted to be doing something. I did not want to be just a tourist. I like the idea that art can cross borders, that it can help you to connect and get involved with people."

However, during that first week there was no crossing of borders or making connections, not a drop of paint touched a wall. Then, their luck changed with a chance meeting in an unlikely place.

Alex Cook attended the Fourth of July Independence Day celebrations hosted by the US embassy on the first Saturday of his trip. There he met a gentleman who worked for the Salvation Army, involved with schools in Kenya. Cook told him he was in Kenya to paint murals but that the people who had invited him were having a hard time finding any free walls to paint. The Salvation Army representative said, "Is that a fact? Well, you know, it would be very nice indeed to have a mural at one of the schools we support." And with that the first of the murals was born.

The mural is located at the Kabete Children's Home. It is a colourful celebration of life and opportunity that befits its location. A fantasy land full of fishes that seem to fly, interesting animals, a bicycle, fruit filled trees, balloons and life-size (or larger) figures dressed in vibrant clothing. The mural fills the hallway and stairwell going up two flights.

However, having successfully completed the first of the murals, Cook and the other artists found themselves in a familiar situation, sitting in the AfricanColours offices with no walls to paint. "Let’s just go out and do some art," Cook said. "Let's just go out there in the street and start painting!"

Enthusiastic, yes, but maybe a little naive too."We’ll get stopped by the police," artist Simon Muriithi said, bringing a dose of realism to the conversation.

UNDAUNTED, COOK AND John Kamicha did go out and "just do it." "We were just walking around town," remembers Kamicha, describing how the River Road piece came to fruition.

"We wanted to do some artwork right then, right there, spontaneously. We asked the person who owned the corrugated fencing if we could do a mural, he said yes. We left and bought some spray paint, came back and went straight to work."

The improvisation and energy in the process reflects the spirit of the modern mural, graffiti and public art movements in urban areas around the world. But this piece was not without controversy. The spontaneity of the creation of the painting and the images in the mural, led to a misunderstanding between the artists and the people watching the mural's progress.

Cook innocently drew a serpent on the wall. He said it was a "beautiful dragon" but to many watching the creature come to life in the mural, including the owner of the wall, he was making a symbol of Satan. "I learnt how pictures can be interpreted in different ways," said Mr. Cook. "But it makes me much more aware of cultural differences. I think of myself as a Christian but I also have a totally different context of that symbol."

But what about creative freedom and the vision of the artists? "I’m not going to just waltz into a place and create something that people have a negative reaction to," continues Cook. "The intention is to make images where people watching the process happen, 50 people watching, are thinking, ‘This is like nothing we’ve ever seen before!’" In the end, Cook changed the dragon into a dove, a symbol of peace, brotherhood and understanding

For the final mural, AfricanColours and Africom, the International Council on African Museums, joined forces to create a mural on the building housing Africom's headquarters at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi.

Though the Museums itself is still under renovation, the site was the perfect location, according to AfricanColours’ Andrew Njoroge. "We believe that this is a perfect way to present contemporary African art at the National Museums," Njoroge said. "Africom shared our belief that murals are an important art form that should have greater exposure in Nairobi."

According to Lorna Abungu, executive director of Africom, the mural is a success. Says she, "AfricanColours presented us with the idea for a mural, when they were looking for another location around Nairobi. We thought it would be wonderful to have a mural right here at our offices. Africom supports and encourages art and cultural heritage throughout Africa. What better way to support African creativity than to have dynamic, talented artists create a unique piece of artwork on the grounds of the National Museums of Kenya?"

This gifted group included one of the youngest artists operating in Kenya, 17-year old painter Emma Zaidi, who was invited to join the group on the strength of a large wall she painted early this year in a private house in Westlands.

The Africom mural covers one entire side of the two-storey building that houses Africom as well as several other NMK offices. It is a colourful depiction of a man and a woman in silhouette, cradling a brilliant yellow-orange sun. At the foot of the male figure is the head of a bull based on a Congolese mask in the AfricanColours offices and the woman is wearing a red cloth, gold earrings and a necklace.

The entire team was instrumental in creating the mural in less than one week. "From building the scaffolding to the final stroke of the brush, everyone worked very hard to make this work happen," says Njoroge. "We finished just as the sun was setting on Sunday."

"AfricanColours proud to offer these gifts of art to the people of Nairobi," Njoroge added. "We hope this is only the beginning of more public art in Kenya and throughout Africa."

And what is the future of murals and public art in Kenya?

According to Cook, it is a bright one. "Nairobi is a dry sponge and murals are like water. Artists are looking for a way to have an impact. Here, with murals, you can do it."

The Africom mural is visible from Kipande Road in the Museum Hill area of Nairobi, Kenya.