By Ogova Ondego
Published February 1, 2014
A unique art exhibition showcasing the work of secondary school students in Nairobi opens at Nairobi National Museum on February 6, 2014 at 10.00 am.
The exhibitors at the Tazama Talent (view talent in Kiswahili) show that shall be held in the Temporary Exhibition Hall at NMK are eight young artists who went through an art residency programme at NNM between September and December 2013.
“These Artists in Residence programme,” a media release signed by David Mbuthia, Public Programmes Curator at NMK says, “was designed to provide a spark for non-traditional learners by encouraging creativity, originality and multiple learning styles. Studies have shown a significant connection among art education, development, and achievement. Skills developed through the arts are recognised by arts, and non-arts communities, as being essential in today’s society.”
This, coming at a time when subjects touching on culture and creativity have been relegated to the peripheries in the school curriculum in Kenya, is encouraging. NMK, rather than point fingers, has come up with a possible solution: form an art club for talented secondary school students and mentor them out of the realisation that visual arts have been a strong tool for self-expression and reflection as seen from the ancient cave and rock art.
Nairobi National Museum Art Club (NANAMAC) came into being following some consultation between NMK and secondary school art teachers in Nairobi with the aim of exploring the possibilities of using NMK’s resources to benefit both art teachers and students.
Purity Senewa Kinaiyia, Art Educator in Public Programmes at NMK says the activities of NANAMAC include art workshops, talks, exhibitions, community outreach, residencies and organised training sessions with professional artists.
The Tazama Talent exhibition shall focus on art produced by the club in 2013. It shall be open to the members of the public.
Meanwhile Genesis, an art exhibition by Bezalel Ngabo, is set to run in the Creativity Gallery of NMK February 4-28, 2014.
Ngabo, who was born in Kinshasa in Congo, says he realised he had artistic abilities when he was very young. He attended Academy Des Beaux-Arts to hone his artistic skills. He later moved to Kenya where he now lives.
“Painting is Bezalel’s way of appreciating the beautiful world we live in, especially in Africa to educate his viewers of the basic virtues of life that help contribute in making our world even more beautiful,” says Lydia Gatundu-Galavu, Curator of Contemporary Art at NMK.
Painting mainly abstract works, Ngabo is said to draw his inspiration from the Holy Bible and the day to day happenings in society.
