Guest Artists Space Foundation is thrilled to welcome Kenyan multidisciplinary artist Shabu Mwangi for a residency from September to November 2024. Mwangi's practice spans painting, sculpture, and installation, and is driven by a deep concern for societal inequality and a desire to shed light on the struggles faced by disadvantaged communities. His art, often characterized by mixed media compositions, engages with themes of structural and historical violence, migration, and the psychological impact of socio-political inequalities. Mwangi's work is a profound reflection on the human condition, exploring the roots of societal division, collective memory, and the impact of power dynamics on both individual and collective identities.
During his residency at G.A.S. Foundation, Mwangi plans to create new works that draw inspiration from his experiences in Lagos while interacting with local communities. This engagement is central to his practice, as he seeks to bring the social relevance of his art into direct dialogue with the city's cultural fabric. His time at G.A.S. will culminate in a presentation at ART X Lagos 2024, where Mwangi will explore themes of fortune and power, examining their influence on social structures across the continent. The residency promises to be a period of artistic growth and cultural exchange.
What is the current focus of your creative practice?
My current focus is on the themes of fortune and power, particularly the dynamics that emerge when the state wields control over these forces. I am exploring how this relationship shapes societal structures, influences individual experiences, and affects collective identities.
L - Crippling State, 2024. R - Distortion in Global Politics, 2024. Photos Courtesy of Shabu Mwangi.
What drew you to apply for this residency and how do you think it will inform your wider practice?
I was especially drawn to the idea of experiencing, sharing with, and learning about the culture in this part of the continent. I am excited to see how it would impact my work knowledge and give my work a platform to be consumed across the continent and outside.
State of Waiting, 2024. Photo Courtesy of Shabu Mwangi
Can you give us an insight into how you hope to use the opportunity?
I will use this opportunity to learn share and bring forward my view and voice in my practice. This residency brings me closer to a new cultural landscape, and I intend to use it as a catalyst for artistic and personal growth. By observing and connecting with new communities in Lagos, learning about their histories, and understanding their social dynamics, I want to create work that resonates with the local context here.
RESIDENCY ARCHIVE
EVENT: My Journey In Art
Event Date: 7th November, 2024
On Thursday, November 7th, G.A.S. Lagos hosted My Journey in Art, an artist talk and interactive drawing workshop led by then-resident and ART X Diaspora Prize winner Shabu Mwangi. While the word "journey" often evokes thoughts of physical movement, for Shabu, it represents personal growth, transformative experiences, and impactful change. Throughout the evening, Shabu offered a glimpse into his artistic evolution, sharing the inspiration behind his recent work, the phases of his creative process, and his unwavering commitment to using art as a medium for social change.
Shabu Muwangi's presentation in My Journey in Art.
ABOUT SHABU MWANGI
Nairobi-based SHABU MWANGI is a multidisciplinary painter and sculptor whose practice focuses on the effects of structural and historical violence and forms of marginalization on individual and collective psyches. Living and working in Mukuru, an informal settlement in Nairobi where he established the Wajukuu Art Project in 2004, Mwangi’s mixed media compositions are powerful expressions of societal and cultural fissures. His most recent work traces an ongoing personal journey of striving to understand the everchanging balance between the driving forces of love and pain. Here, Mwangi has turned his gaze inwards, asking himself questions about how he sees the people around him and reflecting on his interactions with them. In 2022 Mwangi and fellow members of the Wajukuu Art Project participated in Documenta 15 in Kassel, where they went on to win the Arnold Bode prize. Mwangi participated in the 13a Biennial do Mercosul in Brazil, 2022.
The ART X Prize is sponsored by Access Corporation, the parent company of Access Bank.
