NJAMBI MWAURA
I never studied Art or had any formal Art knowledge growing up. Art was not a "thing" in a newly independent Kenya focused on rebuilding the country. The Arts were not integrated in the Education or Social systems at the time. Despite not having a word for it, I was drawn to images and an avid observer of my environment, people and events. I spent a lot of time in free play, using materials available to me. I made clay images down by the river, drew images with a stick or fingers in Dirt, drew on the sides of my notebooks in school as classes got boring and developed a habit of doodling as I talked on the phone. I still had no name for what it was that I was doing.
In the early 90's, I got hospitalized and had art and crafts activity therapy that I actually enjoyed and looked forward to. I still did not think of myself as an Artist and went back to life as a single parent, focusing on my daughter and her activities.
After my daughter started college and was away from home, started hanging out with a friend, Gaugin Mann, who was always working on various forms of Art projects. One day I sat on her porch, while she worked on something, and started painting the view from her porch and made my first painting, "Cantrell." Didn't give it that much thought.
