Kawira Mwirichia
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Kawira Mwirichia | |
|---|---|
| Education | BSc. Civil Engineering, University of Nairobi; |
| Known for | Art, illustration curator |
| Website | https://kalacompany.com/ |
Kawira Mwirichia (died 2020)[1] was a queer artist and curator from Kenya who lived in Athi River. She was a multi-disciplinary artist known internationally for her kangas along with more traditional fine arts mediums such as painting, drawing, and sculpture.
Early life and education
[edit]Kawira Mwirichia was born in 1986. She lived in Athi River, Kenya.[citation needed] She died and was laid to rest in November 2020. She received her Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Nairobi (Aug 2007 – Dec 2012).[2] Through the Astraea Commslab, Mwirichia took a course for online LGBTQI activism. Her formal art training came from graphic & web design courses at the Institute of Advanced Technology as well as Nairobi Institute of Business Studies.
Career
[edit]To Revolutionary Type Love
[edit]Kawira Mwirichia[3] aimed to create Kangas for all 196 countries of the world[4][5] The design of each Kanga is inspired by that country's historical moments in their fight for LGBT rights.[5] As of 2017, 37 of Africa's 57 countries criminalize homosexual acts.[3]
Kangas are traditional East African cotton textiles with Swahili sayings on them.[3][4][6] One of the uses of Kangas is a part of marriage ceremony, where it is laid out on the ground to receive the bride and take her to the wedding, or receive and celebrate the wedded couple.[5]
"In Nairobi, Kenya, there are two different art scenes," artist and activist Kawira Mwirichia explained. "There is the so-called Masai market which draws on traditional crafts and tribal customs, and there is the contemporary art scene, of 'people who are experimenting with other ways of expression.'[5] To Revolutionary Type Love, creates a dialogue between these two creative worlds, as she used traditional textiles to create contemporary Art.[5]
The exhibitions are presented with work from other artists.
Lez Ka-lour!: A Lesbian KamaSutra Colouring Book
[edit]A ten-page colouring book of Lesbian KamaSutra positions by Kawira Mwirichia.[7]
Exhibitions
[edit]- To Revolutionary Type Love, Iwaleawahaus at Bayreuth University, 30 June – 30 September 2018
- To Revolutionary Type Love, University of Art HBK, Braunschweig, Germany, June 2018
- "27" hosted by the National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission Shifteye Studios, Nairobi, November 2017[8]
- To Revolutionary Type Love, Goethe Institute, Nairobi, Kenya May 2017
- Jinsiangu's Bodies Unbound, British Institute in Eastern Africa, 2015[9]
- Girl Art Project, GoDown Arts Center, Nairobi, 2011[9]
- 2010 See Us Hear Us Art Festival, Liberty Hall Pangani, Nairobi
- 2010 Changing Faces Changing Spaces Conference, Hilton Hotel, Nairobi
References
[edit]- ^ "A Bright Light Dimmed Too Soon: Celebrating Queer Activist Kawira Mwirichia". 5 November 2020.
- ^ "Kawira Mwirichia". The Dots.
- ^ a b c Lichtenstein, Amanda (18 August 2017). "A Kenyan Artist Designs Revolutionary 'Kanga' Celebrating Queer Love Around the World · Global Voices". Global Voices. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Championne et gagnante diversité: découvrez l'artiste Kawira Mwirichia et ses khangas engagés". OWDIN (in French). 18 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "I have seen my beauty. I have been shown my beauty". WePresent. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ Wilfried, EK (28 December 2017). "A la découverte de l'artiste Kawira Mwirichia et de ses Khangas engagées – WYAT Magazine". Wyat-mag.com (in French). Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ Mwirichia, Ms Kawira (5 December 2015). Lez Ka-lour!: A Lesbian KamaSutra Colouring Book. ASIN 151965278X.
- ^ Michael, Soi (10 November 2017). 27 (PDF) (vol 1 No. 1 ed.). Nairobi: National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
- ^ a b "Kawira Mwirichia – Medienwissenschaften BS". mewi.hbk-bs.de (in German). Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.