Intertwined: Viewing home and belonging through art

Kavochy's 'intertwined' art. (Courtesy) The 'intertwined' art exhibition, which opened last week at Munyu Space in Westlands, Nairobi, examines the themes of home, belonging, and lineage through an artist's lens. The materials she collects and collages for these mixed media pieces are mainly newspapers or carton boxes on big and small recycled carpets. This material exploration started in 2019 when she was navigating her self-imposed isolation and social interactions. Kavochy had her first solo exhibition, 'Thresholds', at One Off Contemporary Art Gallery which depicted how she manoeuvered the world of art as a young artist and her relations with people. She used carton boxes for her work. This show built up to an Open Studio event titled 'Lineage and Body Archive' with a series called 'Homestead: Celebration of Life' with SOLAB that she showcased at The African Arts Trust last year. The exhibition illustrated her transition from ending a relationship after becoming a mother, her singlehood status, dealing with past relationship traumas, and entering her new marriage. The works also speak of funeral rites after the loss of her grandfather. In bright red, the artist explored the Western Kenyan community tradition of covering the coffin with a plain white pall as the crowning moment. Kavochy used the red and white pall in her drawings to show what happens at home during a funeral. This series explored the connection between the old and new generations, and how old stories merge with the new. These are some of the works she assembled for the 'Intertwined' exhibition, which she combined with a carpet series as new additions. Kavochy's artwork. (Courtesy) The carpet series signifies her new role as a wife and mother. The idea to put carpets to use came to be when she found them in her husband's house when she moved in. She took them and mended them with paintings, shopping bags, and newspapers. With each mending, Kavochy can recount the stories of the past before she lived in that house and of the present of her family through the carpet. "Carpets are an object of the house. People step on them and leave behind a story about a family. Experimenting with carpets gave me an idea of how families live. It is also about me stepping into my motherhood role and family life," she explains. The Maasai Mbili Artists' Collective-based artists researched, experimented, and collected materials from everyday foodstuff packages and newspapers. Newspapers represent an archive of her work because they carry information. As she paints on the torn parts of the newspapers, packaging, and carpets, Kavochy feels like she is hiding some aspects of the story. The torn parts give the artwork rough textures and a distressed look, making it striking for those who enjoy seeing rustic-looking pieces. Kavochy, who has previously exhibited at Circle Art Gallery for the "Antifragile" group exhibition in 2023 and at Maasai Mbili Artists' Collective, hopes to venture into new stories. "I put these old and new works to keep my name alive in the art scene after taking a break. I want to close these themes and start telling new stories. People are my biggest inspiration. I hope that show allows the audience to reflect on their views and experiences about home, lineage, and belonging," she states. Nerima Makhy, an artist and a visitor to the show, kept exclaiming "wow "each time she viewed Kavochy's pieces at the exhibition during its opening night. To her, the artworks evoke feelings of familiarity from the artist's use of everyday objects. "Many things are happening at once in this exhibition, but they all came together so beautifully. I appreciate the day-to-day grounding that the work has because of recognising everyday items as materials," Nerima says. The exhibition continues until February 1.

Intertwined: Viewing home and belonging through art

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