A vibrant series by Thandiwe Muriu celebrates African culture and heritage

By Chiara Bardelli Nonino

There's an extensive and quite engaging explanation for each and every vibrant image in Thandiwe Muriu's series Camo: it deciphers the hidden meanings, references and stories behind the objects, the print designs, the hairstyles. Each one is also paired with an African proverb, and one particularly caught my eyes: "However far a stream flows, it doesn't forget its origin". It seems a good metaphor of Muriu's art. Self-taught, born and raised in Nairobi, Thandiwe managed to create her own universe, merging Kenyan history and tradition with her very own personal - and utterly contemporary - aesthetic.

Sculptural hairstyles, bright prints, everyday objects are transformed into something new and unexpected, and all of these elements come together into photographs that are a sort of transfiguration, portraits that become powerful symbols of beauty and pride.

© Thandiwe Muriu

The title itself is a hint of this symbolic process: the subjects do indeed camouflage into the background but, as she eloquently explains, only to make them stand out: "It's a commentary on how as individuals, we can lose ourselves to the expectations culture has on us, yet there are such unique and beautiful things about every individual."

Her work is on show until October 28, 2022, along with artists Derrick Ofosu Boateng and Hassan Hajjaj, for the last Venetian chapter of 193 Gallery, aptly titled "The Colors of Dreams". Here, we deep-dive into Thandiwe's world, discovering how she developed her unique style, the role that Vogue played in deciding to become an artist and the influence of African glorious traditions of portraiture, hairstyles and print fabrics.

© Thandiwe Muriu

How did you choose photography as your medium?I’m not sure if I chose photography or photography chose me! My journey began at 14 years when my father taught my sisters and I how to use a digital camera. Before then, I had all this art inside of me that was looking for an outlet but hadn't found one yet. I couldn't really draw or paint, but right from my first interaction with the camera I knew there was a connection between photography and I. Every day after school I would rush home and finish my homework so I could photograph clouds, flowers - anything I could get my hands on before the light faded. On weekends, I would convince both my sisters to model for me, using bed sheets as backgrounds to create all these elaborate shoots. For lighting, I used foil paper as a reflector (I wonder if my mother ever figured out where all her foil paper went!). There was no photography art school in existence in Kenya, so I learnt in this way. Photography is the way I make sense of and respond to the world around me. It is my way to preserve my culture for future generations even as I tackle some of the challenges of my cultural background.

Do you remember the first image that struck you, that lingered into your mind?Ironically it was always Vogue covers! My elder sister used to collect the magazine and the editorial and cover images were nothing like I had ever seen before. From then on, I was obsessed with wanting to create magical, flawless images like the ones I saw on the covers. I was fascinated by the idea that you could create this whole concept and scene around the subject in a photograph. Up until then, I had only been exposed to the journalistic style of photography where you record, not create moments. I would pour over the Vogue shoots for hours, trying to break down the lighting, set and posing I saw in the magazine.

Can you talk about the importance and meaning of African textiles in your series Camo ?Many times, you will see men, women and children dressed up in outfits made from brightly colored traditional fabrics. We wear these fabrics whenever we want to look our best, especially at big events. You could see the same fabric on several women, but they will all wear it in very different designs which are a reflection of their personality. It is a beautiful thing to see. At its core, Camo is a celebration of this beauty and a reflection of my experience being a young African woman in a changing cultural landscape. In my images, the fabric acts as the backdrop that I celebrate my culture on. Through this series, I wanted to affirm everything I had struggled with in my own personal beauty journey - my hair, my face and my identity as a modern woman in a traditional culture.

© Thandiwe Muriu

Why does the model often have the eyes covered?My work is not about the particular subject featured. The subjects in the images are representative of all women. I want you not to be captured by the subject, but by what she represents.

How does your art interact with the rich history of African portraiture? And how did your culture and heritage influence your aesthetic?At its core Camo is about beauty, so there is a lot to learn about Kenyan beauty culture in the images. For example in the Kikuyu tribe, a gap between a woman's front teeth is seen as exceedingly beautiful. A woman with a gap will fetch more dowry than one without a gap. My mother has this gap, which I always thought was beautiful. Kenyans are very resourceful people and one of the most common things I see is objects being used for more than their intended purpose. Plastic handheld mirrors are used not only to look at oneself, but also as side-mirrors on a bicycle weaving through traffic or even as decorative clothing accessories on a Maasai warrior! This inspired me to create fashionable accessories from the items found in almost every shop here. The objects I use in my work are items I interact with daily as a Kenyan. They were used all through my childhood and generations before me often interacted with them throughout their lives. Objects are an integral part of our daily lives and are often a big component of beauty culture. I’ve used bottle tops, plastic combs, sink drainers, hair rollers and even mosquito coils. The row of orange combs that sit daintily within the model's hair of Camo 2.0 4322, turn the simple item into a symbol of power. These plastic combs are humble everyday tools used by Kenyan women every morning in the process of preparing for the day. To every woman, hair is her crowning glory, making the combs of this image a symbolic celebration of the strength, shine and curl of African hair. It is a crown that empowers a woman; a height that she rules because she alone ultimately decides the impact and beauty of her coiffure.

© Thandiwe Muriu

How did you develop your distinctive style?Throughout my photography journey it was clear I was always drawn to colour and the African woman. From the beginning, work slowly transitioned into being more and more colourful. When I began shooting personal work, I wanted to create images that excited me as an artist, so naturally these two elements had to feature. Lastly, I quickly discovered an obsession with patterns which culminated in the Camo series. My images are a direct reflection of the warmth and friendliness of the people of Kenya.Do you shoot instinctively or do you construct your pictures?My images are heavily constructed. Every element has meaning. As an artist I enjoy the thought process of each element in an image. Before each new image, I research traditional hairstyles across Africa, then design modern interpretations of them for the hairstylist. Historically we have some very beautiful, elaborate hairstyles. I also source the fabrics from marketplaces across Africa. This is the hardest part because I am looking for a very specific, colourful piece. When I create images, I’m always looking for colour combinations that are bold, exciting and pulsing with life. I believe each print has a personality and I work to design an outfit that makes the print come alive in the best way possible. After that I work with local tailors in Nairobi to stitch the clothes I have designed. As the clothes are being made, I design and fabricate the eyewear with materials I have selected, often from my childhood growing up in Kenya. I always enjoy this part of the creative process the most because it requires me to see ordinary objects as the foundation for exciting fashion accessories. When all the different elements are finally ready, I bring them together in one photograph on a subject to create the images you see.

Did the impact of social media affect your work? If so, how?Yes, when I began taking photographs of sisters at home, after every shoot, I would put the pictures up on Facebook. About a year later somebody inboxed me and asked me how much I would charge for a photo session. I thought "Wow! You mean I can get paid to do this?" At this point I had no idea photography could be a career path and I was over the moon that I could get paid to do what I loved! Essentially, that's how my career began. Social media is how I was discovered by my gallery, 193 Gallery, and it has also allowed me to connect with incredible artists, collectors and individuals. I’m passionate about contributing to the growth of the Kenyan creative community and social media has allowed me to begin a shadowing program for budding Kenyan photographers. Recently I worked with a young female photographer who reached out online.

What is the most challenging picture you took in your opinion?Camo 36 is my interpretation of the traditional African head wrap worn by my mother on a daily basis. It was a challenge to take this traditional piece and reimagine it as a modern sculpture on the model's head. It took some creative construction to get the whole ensemble to sit on the subject's head!

© Thandiwe Muriu

What do you look for in an image?I’m always looking to create images that have layers within them so the longer you look, the more you see. I always want my images to draw the viewer in so they can experience what I was seeing when I created the image. To me, these kinds of images are pulsing with life.

What kind of thought process do you hope to elicit in the viewer?I would love to inspire discussions around the definition of beauty. Every woman is beautiful in her own right and I invite viewers to journey with me as I explore what beauty looks like in my culture. Many times this is so different from what we are exposed to growing up. The series is also a fun way to learn about Kenyan culture.

© Thandiwe Muriu