Chapa Series
(Part of the ‘Am I African Enough?’ Collection)
2022, Mixed Media on Paper, 297 x 210 mm
(Chapa: Print in Swahili)
This series includes pieces that aim to challenge my understanding and acceptance of African imagery. What defines an image as authentically African from my perspective? As I delved into this exploration, I realised that the reliance on prints has inadvertently reduced a vibrant culture to a mere representation of patterns and designs, overlooking the multifaceted nature of its people.
The ‘Am I African Enough? ‘ collection is a body of work in which I question my African identity as a born and bred Kenyan currently living in Germany. What is this ‘Africaness’ that I identify with? What makes me truly Kenyan? What makes me African enough?
