Flowers and Art in Nairobi slum

Hello to all!

I publish again on Hive after a month: I've been in Kenya, a wonderful trip from Nairobi to Turkana lake, inside the amazing colors and culture of this country. It has been a photographic travel to discover the tribes around Turkana lake, and we spent also one day in Kibera slum, where people have a very hard life, they haven't a stable job, and they live in very poor condition, in an huge shanty town, plenty of narrow, dirty streets and strong smells.

Despite of difficulties, many artists live and work here.

We met Wycliffe, a young man who creates paintings with scraps of aluminum cans, making unique and powerful tridimensional images. He burns the pieces of cans, so pieces acquire different colors (from white to yellow, brown and red).

His skin has been burned during the fire of his house when he was exactly two years old, and he said that his scars look like flowers, proving to see everywhere beauty and opportunities for rebirth! It is why the most of his arts concerns and shows flowers.

Here we are in his home and studio, a small room.
In his hand one of his creation: flowers drawn with small pieces of colored cans: it is his revenge against being 'outcast'.
His body becomes light, it becomes an image, a music, to explain to the world that there is an immense life that flows outside him!

Here his words explaining the flowers painting: 'The flower can be able to bloom, bring out the beauty despite of the environment condition'.
He said that exactly next night, it has passed twenty years from the fire, so tomorrow would be his second birthday. His age is 22.

To create more authentic arts, he doesn't duplicate his painting, so every piece is unique.

I bought that painting.

He explained to us other creations.
He has been in Turkana some days before, and it has been a very deep experience for him. There are many people in Turkana who live in worst condition than him, and he felt lucky to have a richer life, here in Nairobi slum.
The following painting is a portrait of a Turkana lady. She wears a typical big necklace, to show social status, included whether they are married or not. The arrows pointing down show the heavy of the necklace and the deep presence of their culture in their life, like the necklace was an heavy part of her body. If she would try to remove necklace, it would sting.

On the wall, on the left, another painting: it shows Nairobi slum, built on an hill.

Here a painting where background shows the past (the exeperience of our life) and the ropes in the upper part shows the future.

He is amazed by the lion and following painting shows the king of the jungle: just with a roar a lion could change the environment around him, so he has the great power to influence all his habitat! He likes the title 'Steady like a lion'.

Here a painting where the trinity is shown. Title is 'Me, myself and I', from the left to the right. 'Me' is where I came from, 'myself' is his face, and 'I' is the city. Like the Holy Trinity, for the human the trinity is made by body, soul and mind, and about personality, the trinity is Me, myself and I.

Last creation is called 'Kitenge love', that is means a tradition wear for afrincas people, and shows the expectations of society. It is not a specific symbol or format. The word 'love' in the title is ironic.

Here some people around, showing a simple life where everybody helps each others, like a texture where all people are connected.

Thanks Wycliffe to show how beauty and art can shine despite falls and suffering! With joy, a great smile, humility and a big heart.
And thanks to great photographer @mauro-debettio to permit us to discover your 'world'...

Pictures taken with Sony Alpha 7iii.
01.08.2023.