Nestled within the bustling city of Nairobi, Kenya, Kibera is a testament to its inhabitants’ challenges and its collective indomitable spirit. Known as one of the largest urban slums in Africa, Kibera is a vibrant community where resilience and creativity sometimes flourish against a backdrop of economic hardship. This neighborhood, originally established as a settlement for Nubian soldiers in the early 20th century, has grown significantly due to continuous migration and the pursuit of economic opportunities near Nairobi’s urban core.
The Kibera Creative Arts (KiCA) organization emerges as a beacon of hope and transformation in a compelling blend of art and altruism. KiCA empowers the community through various artistic expressions, including dance, music, visual arts, and comedy. Their mission is bold and clear: to rewrite Kibera’s narrative from one of mere survival to one of thriving talent and greater opportunities.
Recently, Kibera had the privilege of hosting two renowned figures in the world of street art—French painter Julien “Seth” Malland, known as Seth, and American photographer Martha Cooper. Their week-long visit was not only a journey through the creative landscapes of Kibera but also an effort to collaborate with and uplift the local artistic talents.
Martha Cooper captured the essence of this vibrant community with her lens, focusing on the joyful expressions of children engaged in art, music, and dance, thanks to KiCA’s programs. Her photographs depict the daily life and creative spirit of Kibera’s youth, who find joy in the simplicity of homemade toys and the rhythm of street games.
Seth created a series of murals that meld naturally with the fabric of Kibera. His works include a striking depiction on a small wall resembling a sardine can’s rolled top, and a large mural adjacent to a soccer field featuring silhouetted heads with a Swahili slogan translating to “We Are One.” Seth’s art decorates and encourages dialogue with the community, bringing messages of unity and reflection.
The collaborative efforts culminated in vibrant new murals that incorporate local cultural elements and in some cases, the active participation of Kibera’s youth. “After 7 days of painting, we are proud to present to you the end result, a new look of Kibera street arts filled with beauty and diversity,” remarked KiCA organizers on Facebook. These projects are a testament to the power of art in bridging communities and fostering a sense of shared identity and hope.
Both artists reflected on their experiences. Seth shared on his Instagram, “I painted this can opener on the facade of the community center of @kicakibera, which welcomed me to the largest slum in East Africa, Kibera in Nairobi.” Meanwhile, Martha noted, “Here were some of the poorest conditions I have ever seen. We were working with KICA – a cultural organization inside Kibera that teaches art, dance, music, photography, and filmmaking, among other things.”
Throughout the year and with the contributions of visitors, lecturers, performers, and people like Seth and Martha, Kibera may be seen not as a place of despair but as one of immense potential and artistic wealth. The community’s often enthusiastic engagement in these projects highlights a collective aspiration to not only dream but to manifest dreams into reality, painting a new story of Kibera—one stroke at a time.
In the heart of Lwala, Kenya, a place where the warmth of the sun is matched only by the warmth of its community, two artists, Martha Cooper, an esteemed New York ethnologist and photographer, and Seth, a visionary French street artist and muralist, embarked on a remarkable journey a few weeks ago. Their mission, rooted in a shared passion for integrating children’s creativity into their work, led them to the vibrant classrooms and playful corners of Lwala, capturing the imaginations we all had as kids – against a backdrop of education, care, and community.
Cooper, with a distinguished career spanning over seven decades, has traversed the globe, documenting children’s inventive play practices and turning her lens toward the ingenuity that flourishes in the spaces between childhood and the urban landscape. Seth, on his canvases of buildings, brings to life the dreams and stories of Lwala’s children in murals that echo the community’s pulse.
Lwala, situated near the shores of Lake Victoria, is more than just a geographical location; it’s a nexus of culture, learning, and artistic expression. Through the eyes of Cooper and the brush/cans of Seth, the essence of Lwala’s youth shines brightly, depicting scenes of everyday life transformed into extraordinary murals.
As Seth described on his Instagram, the interaction is key. “The walls of the Lwala primary school are covered with small drawings and graffiti,” he says. “Treasures just waiting to be discovered, to which I sometimes enjoy adding my touch.”
This collaboration marks another chapter in the duo’s journey of artistic exploration and social commentary, previously witnessed in places like Tahiti and Haiti. Yet, Lwala stands out for its own spirit and this natural integration of art into the lives of its children. The murals, vividly capturing scenes from daily life to imaginative escapes, become a canvas where the children’s own artworks also find a place, transforming school walls into collaborative galleries of dreams and aspirations. Martha Cooper’s photography captures these moments of interaction, where art and life converge, offering glimpses into the playful ingenuity that has been the focus of her lens many times in her life.
“We asked kids to bring their homemade toys (my ongoing subject). The most creative were wheeled sticks they called ‘motorbikes’ with an engine sound made by a stick hitting a plastic bottle as the wheel turned,” she says. “There were also guns shaped from mud, balls made of trash, paper hats, thin scarves knit from scraps of wool and stick needles and jump ropes.”
Among the observer’s voices echoing the significance of this project, Valentine Otieno’s stands out, “Some of the best memories for the school will be in this art. It will exist for years, and what Seth gave the school is a gift for ages,” he writes on her Instagram page. “Thanks Martha for covering all this through your incredible lense skills and the few snap lessons.” Mode2, a legendary figure in graffiti and urban art, remarks, “The only limits to their resourcefulness is their imagination,” highlighting the boundless creativity captured here in Lwala.
At 81 (she celebrated her birthday while here), Cooper’s journey to Lwala with Seth is a testament to capturing childhood’s essence and art’s transformative power. Without sponsorship, driven solely by passion and friendship, their visit to Lwala becomes a narrative now woven into the fabric of the local school – a vibrant testament to the enduring power of art and the universal language of play.
Happy Sunday! Evidently Donald Trump is the Anti-Christ! Full disclosure, we already sort of suspected this because he is also anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican, anti-woman, anti-humility and so many other anti-s. The question is, who is going to break the news to Michele Bachman?
Meanwhile here on the dirty garbage-strewn sidewalk we have our our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Barlo, CitiCop, City Kitty, Crisp, Faith 47, Flood, Hueman, JR, Madsteez, Mr. Renaissance Style, Otto “Osch” Schade, Queen Andrea, Specter, Stikman,Tim Okamura,WRSPNSK, XORS, and Zhu Hai .
BSA is not just Brooklyn, you know. Last year we brought you new Street Art from Atlanta, Arizona, Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Bronx, Brooklyn, Brisbane, Bristol, Costa Rica, Chicago, China, Dominican Republic, The Gambia, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Istanbul, Italy, Jamaica, Johannesburg, Kenya, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Norway, NYC, Palestine, Panama, Paris, Perth, Queens, Reno, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, and Trinidad. And that is a partial, incomplete list. Remember that the next time someone says we cover just Brooklyn and New York. Not quite.
Also while we were surveying what we did in 2012, we were curious to see which were the top stories we covered for the Huffington Post, measured by hits, social sharing, and emails sent to us. Here are the top stories you liked the most of the 44 we cross-published with Huffington Post Arts & Culture in 2012. (A complete list at the end of the posting)
Abuse of a child is against the law worldwide. Unless international laws are enforced, it makes no difference.
Brooklyn based Street Artist Swoon is lending her name and her talent to a legal organization which seeks justice for women and girls who have been raped and otherwise abused.
The fine artist whose work has appeared in the street, galleries, and museums over the last decade recently visited eastern Kenya with Mike Snelle, Director of London’s Black Rat Projects, to participate in planning discussions for a project they will be doing this year in partnership with Equality Effect. The international organization of lawyers works to protect children and women around the world in conjunction with rescue centers, as well as to ensure that their rights are respected.
While in Kenya, Swoon lead a series of art workshops at a rescue center for girls between ages 4 and 16 years. These girls are part of project called “160 Girls” and its purpose is to take the Kenyan government to court and cause it to enforce existing international laws to hold perpetrators of violence accountable for their actions. Seeking justice and empowerment for girls and women, the campaign and association rely on contributions to assure that these girls see their day in court. Swoon intends to lend her name and efforts to raise funds and awareness throughout this year with plans for an auction and a special piece she is creating about the girls.
Aside from laying plans for the program Swoon participated and taught a workshop on making colorful masks and head dresses with some of the girls in the center. The power of creativity in healing cannot be doubted, and participants reported how much fun it was to create their art project. Hopefully this workshop and others like it will continue to help the girls feel empowered and to gain self-confidence through having an outlet of creative expression.
Below are some photos of the workshops and the outstanding results of the students creativity. Please note: BSA has blurred some of the girls’ faces to protect their identities.
We talked with Mike Snelle to learn more about the organization and his involvement with Swoon.
Brooklyn Street Art:How did you first learn of Equality Effect and why is their work important?
Mike Snelle: Fiona Sampson, who runs Equality Effect came into the gallery one day and she sent me an email afterwards. Her email address is @theequalityeffect, which seemed to be an interesting address so I looked up what they did. Reading their website I knew what they were doing was really important so I reached out to see if there was any way we could help.
I also thought that Swoon might be interested too. The Equality Effect are basically a human rights charity who are looking to use the law to protect and enforce people’s human rights. International human rights laws already exist to protect the vulnerable but are often not enforced. What the Equality Effect do is take on governments on the behalf of the people whose human rights are being violated. I think this is part of what is necessary to affect deep lasting change.
Brooklyn Street Art:What role do you find galleries and artists can play in helping an organization like this to reach its goals?
Mike Snelle: I feel like this is a conversation I have been having with artists like Swoon and Matt Small for several years; How to be an artist, or for that matter a gallery, and to contribute to the wider world and not stay within the limited confines of the art world. The art world is a funny isolated place and it feels important to reach outside of its boundaries to connect with people who are affecting change in the real world. For me it’s about how to represent artists, do shows and sell works but not wake up with that empty sensation that you could be doing more with your life. It’s about using the skills and contacts you have from the art world and then diverting those resources in a different direction.
It’s particularly rewarding to work with artists because they can offer an on-the-ground experience, as well as help in raising awareness. This is an uplifting, creative, joyful experience for the kids. Following this there is a fundraising element. In this case an auction with the first work being a portrait of one of the girls made by Swoon.
Brooklyn Street Art: What was your experience like during your time with the workshops at the rescue centre?
Mike Snelle: I am still processing it a bit. It was simultaneously hard and joyful. You are working with twenty-five children between five and sixteen, all of whom are engaging, fun, creative human beings doing something fun and joyful. At the same time each of them has a difficult and traumatic story. It’s an intense experience.
There were some really amazing people there and I guess that most of all I feel like I learned about a kind of compassion that some people have which is enduring and powerful and that somehow doesn’t exhaust the person who has it. And something about how the most effective change is possible by listening to people on the ground who understand the community they are from in a way that’s impossible to do from the outside where you can only impose a preconceived idea of what is needed in a way that is inevitably inaccurate. I think this is what the Equality effect do really well – partner with people on the ground and listen to what they need.
It was also important for me watching Swoon and Dana and Paulie-Anne and seeing that the more “present” you can be and more open you are, the easier you can create genuine human connections. And you know, kids have an amazing resilience, and the joy they get from making things is the same joy that I recognise from my own children. It was a lot, this trip. I think I’m still learning from it. We saw a hospital there that had been built but didn’t have any equipment in yet. They had raised the money for the building but not for anything else. Asking about it we were told that if you believe in something, and just start it, then other people believe too and it will come to be. This seems like a thing. I’m rambling. It was a little overwhelming.
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