Missing Connection

In this  era of different and multiple visual expression techniques,artists should strive to stay abreast with the changing times.

Thank God  for  the  Internet.Creative  minds  can  now  share  ideas  across  the  globe.Gone  are  the  days  when  people  in  one  region  used  to  do  their  things  in  their  own  way  while  others  did  the  different.

Some claimed to be ahead of others and some lagged behind.The only thing that is missing is to raise awareness aggressively through the audio visual mode of communication.

Few people bother to read books or research online,many rely on the T.V,radio and print  media  for  information.

The only problem we experience is  the  constant  negative  publicity  portrayed  by  the  big,international  News  channels.They  continue  showing  how  people  are  always  fighting,dying  of  disease,starving  and  how  uneducated  they  are.

It’s no wonder people have this ugly,dark image popping up in their minds anytime they hear the word Africa.People should realize that all people aren’t the same.

Early sketch 1

This drawing is one of many I had done when I was trying to find my way in painting.It’s based on the African concept of the Creation story.The technique is of the African traditional painting approach,where figures of humans,animals and objects are depicted in great detail.

This style however,has been heavily commercialized by the curio artists.This is because of the tourist demand.

In my work,I try to add a bit of symbolism and imagination unlike others that rely more on realism and wildlife scenarios.

Here,every creature and object stands for something.The butterfly for spiritual beings;flowers for human life;wild animals for earthly creatures and water for earthly elements.The other objects such as pots,weapons and musical instruments stand for major events that take place in a persons’ life.

These can be grouped as death,birth,success,happiness,failure etc.

Early sketch 2

This was my last sketch to draw in this style.I switched next to “Roomism” or interiors.Anyway,that former style has catapulted a famous Kenyan artist to international fame.

His name is Kivuthi Mbuno and one can sample his works and biography at   www.africancontemporary.com

The Roots:Truth from deep within

A rather common criticism voiced by many Western people consists of underlining that the Africans have no right to continue to seek justification for their limitations after many years of independence.

Those who make this criticism forget the three hundred years of the slave trade,during which,according to reliable statistics,a quarter of the population,and frequently the youngest and most physically and intellectually perfect,were carried away.

This was an appalling tragedy,to which no other people have been subjected.It shook Black Africa to its foundations,destroyed great Kingdoms,abased age-old cultures,tore the social fabric,created and intensified rivalries between peoples who migrated ever further into the interior trying to escape from the raids,which at least initially occurred mainly at the coast.

Those who criticize ignore,or pretend to ignore that the culture found by the explorers contributed and added to the tragedy of slavery colonialism which,though a relatively brief time in Africa,caused enormous damage,implanting itself,like a new wound,in an already prostrate body.

Other cultures,in analogous situations might have disappeared completely more especially in the East African region.

The patience,the capacity to endure suffering,the love of their own traditions,the community sense and perseverance,have allowed the Africans to walk in this tunnel for four centuries without losing the hope of seeing the light again.

It is not to be wondered at that the Africans sometimes look questioningly and mistrustfully at Westerners:it is a miracle and a glory of African culture that there is no hatred.

In his collection of poems,Aime Cesaire sought to affirm the existence of a vibrant Black culture and instill respect for Black values.His writings are emblematic of the Black mans predicament in terms of identity in a world that constantly threatens to negate his existence.  

Sketch Three

This drawings try to expose to the world the current African way of living.They also show how the urban life is.The African no longer lives in huts and caves but in modern houses.

Sketch Four

Urban tradition has taken over by storm and the old traditional values are slowly fading away.

Old animism before new Christianity

In African thinking,every human being and all of nature are animated by spirits,which create a bridge between material reality and the invisible world,the realm of transcendence.

Having abolished the dualism between body and spirit,the African feels a deep sense of unity within himself,both in higher and lower reality.

His earthly existence does not limit the activity of man to his brief stay in the world but opens vistas of the infinite and the eternal:life beyond death.

God is not an abstract,philosophical concept,an object of laborious investigation but a fascinating,mysterious,tremendous and personal presence.

He is a reality so enormous that He can not be conceptualized nor limited by the human mind,but rather felt and perceived in the various manifestations of nature.

The spirits which animate the universe are messengers of the eternal and have many faces and different characters.

Adoration is for God alone,sacrifices for the ancestral spirits,to placate them and to win their favour.

God is felt as a presence and a breath of the spirit;man united with Him no longer sees the outside world as menacing,rather everything becomes a friend and shares the same life.

Due to modernity laced with Christianity,many people nowadays consider these beliefs and others as backward and outdated.

The age factor & the following generations

When one visits any of the few art galleries in Kenya,one can not help but notice that almost all of the artworks displayed are done by old artists.Basically,I have no problem with this.I am a junior artist and I have great respect for my seniors.However,am worried that this trend of over-emphasizing on the older hands will impact negatively on the growth and future of the Arts industry.

This whole state of affairs is demoralizing to the young and energetic artists,who eventually switch careers due to frustration.Some become matatu designers,others curio artists and some hobbyists.

Part of the problem is the lack of support and appreciation from the patronizing members of the society.

People seem to forget about artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat,the Irascibles and Van Gogh who were young but left a huge mark in the worlds’ art scene.

Gone heritage(Idols of the tribe)

What remains of the original and fascinating art forms which for centuries were the cultural heritage of the African?

Few relics indeed remain since a majority of them were taken away by the explorers,who later on shipped them to far-away lands.

Eventually, they ended up in various world glass rooms and hidden behind fortified walls.

What currently serves as reminders of this glorious past is a collection of black& white photographs,shallow history books and some replicas.

As for the European masters Picasso and Miro,they only acted as mirrors,reflecting what they saw.

Many art critics,unfortunately,fail to give due credit and respect to these African originals.Some call them “primitive”,others “undeveloped”.

Sometimes I ask myself if the current Art trends would be what they are if it wasn’t for African art.

Palette Leadership

Pyramids and Prisms

In this age,everything’s about business leadership and influence.

But what do people really know about leadership? Genuine leadership can’t be purchased by money neither can it be taken by force.

Leadership qualities come naturally and grow with time.In some cases,it’s pre-ordained in a divine way.

Formal education that is provided by institutions offers day to day knowledge of things e.g. basic mathematics,spoken language….etc.

However, these basics can’t be equated to sound wisdom that enables one to make good decisions in life.

Spiritual leadership,Business leadership,Political leadership and Academic leadership should be separated.

People who believe in nothing have higher chances of getting lost in worldly intricacies and other dynamics.

Therefore,it is misleading for a person,system or an institution to claim to guarantee successful leadership skills based on an educational curriculum (such as what we witness nowadays).

In other words,we should let the economist to carry on his/her path.The preacher man his/her path.The don his/her path.And never get twisted.

My style

***Please note that this article is based on imagination and not facts***

My blogging techniques cum typing styles have aroused much interest lately.

I refer to it as “compressive typing” or “summary typing” that is suitable for popular sites like Twitter or RSS phone applications.

Anyone anywhere can read lots of information in few sentences.Whether on the road,on the plane or deep in space.

Someone may find similarity with Egyptian hieroglyphics, whereby information was compressed in the form of symbols and characters.

Yes we have smileys and shorthands but these can’t compress large information for the “fast” world.

So if you like it,please keep in touch and……………………….

Missing Connection-the link

Bloggers as the 5th estate

It’s now a known fact that bloggers are giving mainstream media or the 4th estate competition.

Critics often “fire up” on the basis that since bloggers aren’t professionally trained like journalists,the information they provide on the web is therefore unreliable.

Another cause of this “firing” originates in regulating the business aspect of passing information.Critics feel bloggers are giving free information to people with no intention of making money out of the process.

They feel bloggers are sort of “destroying” the media business.

This is heightened especially now when there’s an economic recession going on and media houses are shutting down one by one.

What they don’t know is that, in everything it’s good to have a balance.Whether in the real world or in the virtual world.

My dream is to one day see fellow bloggers getting honored for enlightening people on new ideas and concepts.

One may ask,”why honor them?”, “These individuals exist on line and are obscure,why should we as a society honor them?”

Here’s why:

When someone uploads something new on the web and someone from another place reads it and changes his/her mentality in a positive way,isn’t that peace promotion?

When someone acquires fresh information of a certain place on line,which according to him/her didn’t offer any relevance and get’s an attitude adjustment,isn’t that global development?

The 5th estate should be there as an alternative to “commercial” information for the sake of the future.

Sketch Six

I enjoy working at home.It’s easy for me to connect with the surroundings.

Judicial Astronomy vol.3

***Please note that this article is a work of imagination and not facts***

Space pollution and the untold fears

When it comes to the issue of space in connection with artistic creativity,there’s plenty of room.

The other day I was surfing the net in search of a wallpaper for my new phone.I happened to catch a glimpse of the Hubble photographs.

They were marvelous to the point of wondering whether we are really alone in this great and infinite universe.

Other than this I also wondered where the dead satellites and the abandoned exploration projects go to?

Are we filling space with our junk?

As an artist one can come up with interesting stuff from found objects.Dadaism proved this…………

With the advent of satellites that are similar to mobile sculptures and SETI sending messages that are never replied back to earth, is like a boomerang effect.

Are we duping ourselves ? To what point shall this “never ending” quest lead us ? Are we searching for our own search ?

IT and Art in Africa -Two

Museum for Bloggers

Bloggers feel it when their sites are shut down and can’t recover the lost information due to the terms and conditions of the IT company involved.

This calls for innovation and invention.

Big companies such as Google and Yahoo can make life for bloggers easy by offering a Museum for Bloggers service.

Whereby sites that have intellectual significance or could offer information for future reference, are saved somewhere accessible.

Each day,the Internet has new users and potential bloggers who could be tempted to type something worthwhile that might offer enlightenment somewhere.

Take the case of Africa and people who live in marginalized areas.

They too also have stories and information they can offer the world.

Personally speaking,there is no easy route to put data online than that of Blogging.

As an example, I’ve created a sample site for my works:

www.brownculture.wordpress.com

The African Package -2

Ever since independence, many developing countries have relied on the “usual” exports for growth and development.

Due to the effects of climate change and changing markets,this has to change.

Many intellectuals and innovators in the continent often complain about the lack of support in terms of protection ,financial support and benefits.

Why can’t the situation be in such a way that big companies can act like partners,in a sense where they do the manufacturing and the intellectual provides the “map”……..and in the end they can share profits.

Take the case of a poor University student who invents an energy saving lantern and lacks support.Yet on the other hand we have a huge “group” of energy companies that are fighting for the local market……

Sometimes I feel betrayed and think of being unpatriotic due to this intellectual “waste”.

African countries along with their stakeholders should just sit down and have a reality check.

The issue here is not politics but a matter of patriotism and human ethics.

Street diploma(t)s

It’s a fact that today’s academic circles have been converted to academic fortresses.

Higher or good quality education is hard to come by.

Survival of the fittest has become the “golden rule”.Nobody wants the milk beneath.Everyone is obsessed with the top cream.

Failing an examination is like committing a crime.Much is demanded by the family and the society.

People assume all students are the same.Similar to Formula 1 ,each person is just racing to out do the other.

There are no human values left……It’s just an insensitive educational race.

———————–

Another race exists when it comes to the awarding of scholarships.Nobody wants the Certificates or the Diplomas.Everyone wants the geniuses and the PhDs.

Some of us slipped due to health and unavoidable circumstances….

Did we fall out of the race by our intention? What lies after the race we don’t know.

Judicial Astronomy vol.2

The Climatic change circus

Watching TV today is a bit scary.If it isn’t wild fires ,typhoons and mudslides then it’s a group of hungry faces watching over animal carcasses.

There is too much hype and too much talk in the Press -and little action on the ground.

It’s as if people are afraid to lose and at the same time they are eager to gain….

****

I can recall my primary school days when there was a Tree planting day.

The day was similar to a National day,where everyone in the community took part.

The cutting down or destruction of any vegetation in the estates was prohibited .

Littering or reckless dumping of toxicities was also prohibited.

*****

It is a duty for each individual citizen to be responsible for his/her surroundings.

For whoever said that Nature is unforgiving and no respecter of persons was indeed correct.

I won’t be amazed when we witness mutations and new evolutions, cause excessive heat radiation causes ………………………………

“Astronomers” can or have proved  this.

Finally,we should all be responsible in preserving the few natural resources left or else AS will take over.

(AS stands for Artificial Society).

Gone Heritage (Royalty solution)

The looting of a country’s historical antiques and cultural pride is not right.The looting of archaeological sites and the destruction of the few “memorabilia” is also not right.

Efforts such as the “anti-theft” units and awareness campaigns have born little fruit.

So what’s the other option?………

It might involve stepping on big people’s feet or severing long time ties.But it’s worth the trouble.

How will it be when the revenue earned from these “objects” is repatriated back to the country of origin in the form of royalties ?

Would such an effort not level the atmosphere that’s tearing the foundations apart ?

Heritage as we know it is as important as education itself.Therefore there is no reason to toy around with the subject.

A country and a people without heritage is equivalent to someone who is walking naked in a crowded city.