KWA SHIRO

 

Maasai Mbili Artists’ Collective is a leading East African contemporary arts organization begun in 2001 by Otieno Gomba and Otieno Kota. The studio now comprises about a dozen main members, students, interns, and visiting residence artists. The artists make and exhibit contemporary art, public art, children’s art programs, music production and performance, street fashion, immersive and interactive multimedia programs, and animations. Sometimes the membership of the studio expands exponentially especially during collaborations with the community. Through projects, workshops, and exhibitions, Maasai Mbili has become an important link between the Kibera community and the outside world. 

Maasai Mbili’s vision is to have a fully functional state of the art r

esource centre for the artists and the community of Kibera. It means the artists shall be more efficient, self-sustaining, produce better quality items, and store them better.

In this collaboration with the organization called Bounce Culture, artists from Maasai Mbili have produced artworks for the digital collaborative project labelled SOLAB. which will be showcased on their website as well as other platforms. These works include;

Artist Statement

KWA SHIRO “wasanii wanone”

 The artists at M2, Kwaru, Andrew, Gomba, and Kevo, were keen to conceptualize and participate in the public performance  ‘wasanii wanone’(let artists get fat). In this new work, we re-imagine ‘ a small motel in Nairobi, a temporary construction typical of Kibera which serves both as a business place and sleeping quarters for the residents. Most of the constructions and businesses are illegal and the residents build their own rules of engagement. At Shiro’s are people, food, and drink that we believe are specific to Kibera. Here we look at how food contributes to the making of a vibrant subculture, the resulting architecture, and language that continues to emerge around it. What about UHURU (FREEDOM)? Is it a topic in this space?

 In this process, we invited neighbours and the members of our immediate community to KWA SHIRO for a meal and a drink as a performative situation with an opportunity to have a chit chat on our special menu. Which was made up of scientific names of food. From their accompanying role, these people created and triggered the expressions of the current (political, social, spiritual or mental) positions for individuals and the community, specifically Kibera and all its diasporas.

 These happenings have been documented in three mediums. A home-produced song, a short animated clip, and a video showing the experience of part of the project.

Participants

M2 Artists

Maasai Mbili Artists’ Collective is a leading East African contemporary arts organization begun in 2001 by Otieno Gomba and Otieno Kota. The studio now comprises about a dozen main members, students, interns, and visiting residence artists. The artists make and exhibit contemporary art, public art, children’s art programs, music production and performance, street fashion, immersive and interactive multimedia programs, and animations. Sometimes the membership of the studio expands exponentially especially during collaborations with the community. Through projects, workshops, and exhibitions, Maasai Mbili has become an important link between the Kibera community and the outside world.