From Nairobi to Braeburn for a Transformative Art Experience

Last term, we received an invitation to take our students to the Mahaba Centre, located near Sable Square, to see an exhibition by the Mukuru Art Collective who are based in Nairobi. Over three days we took groups of students from KS 3 and 5 to meet the artists, see and discuss their work and take part in workshops that demonstrated the artists’ techniques, styles and materials and gave the students a chance to create their versions. Building on the success of these days, the artists returned last Friday for a whole day of art activities here at Braeburn.

This time we included some of the Primary children from Yrs 3, 4, 5, and 6 as well as the remaining students who hadn’t gone to Nairobi for the production from Yrs 7, 8, and 9.

The Mukuru group has come from a tough background where making a living of any kind can be hard, much less one as an artist. Their subjects and materials are inspired by this background and it was a good opportunity for the students to learn about a different side of life from their own. They use many recycled and upcycled materials in their work such as cardboard to paint on, yoghurt pot trays as palettes and wooden boards made from old and unwanted market stall signs as supports for paintings. This isn’t merely being resourceful when you have limited means and availability of resources, this also helps to drive the narrative behind the work.

The first task was for the students to follow the example of one of the artists who said he was painting a still life from a bird’s eye view. The students assiduously followed the step-by-step process and gradually the image revealed itself to be of a water carrier lugging heavy jerry cans on his cart, a typical scene in the hot Nairobi sun. Once complete, we had all the work outside on the upper field with the students looking at what everybody had produced and talking about the challenges and successes involved. Adam, the leader of the group, told them about life in Nairobi and that these water sellers usually make no more than $4-$5 per day for all their hard work.

After the second break, we returned to the amphitheatre to create the next work with a different artist which involved a more technical aspect of art which is painting negative space. Negative space is the space around and between objects, essentially empty air, however, in a 2D artwork, it becomes a fundamental part of ‘seeing’, and being able to create a convincing 3D world with background, middle-ground and foreground. Again, there was an element of mystery and guessing as each step was revealed in the creation of a colourful landscape and an approach quite different from the first image they created.

After lunch, the Primary students returned to class; as they would later need the hall for their afternoon assembly, we completed the day with Yr8 and 9 back in the art room.

I hope that the students found it valuable to meet real, practising artists, learn about a world different from their own, and gain more confidence and knowledge in executing a work of art successfully.

Philip Parham