Grafitti takes centre stage in Nairobi

By Crystal Okusa

Once I arrive in Madaraka Estate, I ask for directions to the Jomino Studio. I am directed to an old rusty gate. A tent is situated at the centre of the compound with many upcoming artists.

Using a brush to paint the contours of the words "Hustle Up", graffiti artist Ibrahim Alex (23) aka Ibra showcases his talent.

"I want to encourage the youth to use graffiti to support themselves," Ibra explains.

Ibra, who runs Mavazi Hand Print, recently started going around estates recruiting idle youth and training them on how paint graffiti and other forms of art to earn a living.

Kenya’s pioneer graffiti artists tagged each other on random walls. Names you may have seen included Icon, Tak 1, Swift, Smoky, Uhuru Bank Slave and Point Blank. They sprayed their names on walls under the cover of darkness for fear of being arrested. They later joined WAPI (Words and Pictures), at the British Council grounds where they can spray paint without interference.

A fortnight ago I met Sammy Esen (24) with cans of spray in his hands, standing at an angle trying to scrutinise the work he had done.

"This is my name ‘Esen’. I try to use my name most of the times as a way of breaking the theme in a simpler way that someone would understand. I work around Esen, every time using colours to reflect what is being talked about," he explained.

Different images

As I walk around the packed venue hip-hop music blares from the speakers. I pass people crowding around artists who are spraying different images on the walls. I try to find out if they understand what is being written.

"It’s the colour that attracts me and I like coming when the design is still going on so I can get a chance to spray too. It’s just fun for me," explains an onlooker.

"I am a hip-hop diehard, so I come to WAPI every month to check out what’s happening. I understand graffiti element and even try to associate with the artist to see how some day I can become a graffiti artist too," says Timothy Njuguna, a Form Three student.

I also meet Asha Gathoni, a 21-year-old graffiti artist. It had not occurred to me previously that even girls participated in the WAPI graffiti competitions.

"This art is gender sensitive, even chick’s can do it. A few months ago, my team — Abiss (a group of three girls) won a competition and beat all guys but we missed our award because we were not around,"explains Asha.

WAPI, accommodates under- ground hip-hop artistes and does not focus on the mainstream. This may explain the rift between the underground graffiti artists and Ibra who is representing the mainstream.

He has done graffiti backgrounds and T-shirts for Dead Prez, P-Square and those of many other East African celebrities. Many see him as a threat to their works.

Hardships of life

"At WAPI, they have a problem with me because I do my works outside of the group. I work very hard to get those gigs. Instead of them going out of their way to get the jobs I get, they sit there and hate," he says.

"Underground artists usually come from the ghettos and tend to feel that they know and have experienced the hardships of life hence they do not want to associate with the mainstream," explains Point Blank, a graffiti artist.

Although Esen does not find it cool to hate the mainstream because he is from the ghetto, he explains that most artists feel they don’t have enough material to counterattack mainstream.

Since there is a clear tag of war between mainstream and underground, Ibra and his team tend to keep to themselves to avoid conflict.

"I hope that this project will give a chance to new artists to showcase their talent without them having to go to WAPI, where even after a couple of competitions, the winners are still the same people so you never get to see new talent," he adds.

"Some people will not understand how graffiti works. Graffiti needs a keen eye that looks beyond the surface. It takes time to understand the thoughts of different artists. I usually judge based on originality, relevance to the theme, creativity, skill and principles of graffiti. A number of artists compete one Saturday of the month; the winner goes home with a certain amount of money that is different every month depending on sponsors They also get a certificate."

This has become a source of income for many artistes as well as a way of upgrading their skills. Some get a chance to do projects with corporate firms and even for the government. Grafitti art is now accepted and no longer seen as controversial. The wall of British High Commissioner’s Residence were recently given a face lift when this month’s WAPI was held there. A mural of Angel Wainiana’s face was a fitting memorium created by the artists.

Despite the good works most artists lack materials to use. Graffiti needs to be done using spray cans with a definite nozzle for detail. These are not found locally and are expensive to import forcing artists to use spray cans with poor nozzles.Others opt to use paintbrushes.

"I prefer paintbrushes compared to nozzle cans as the those we have locally are not of good quality. The paintbrushes are likely to produce better detail. Until I can afford to import a container of cans, I will use paintbrushes. It’s too expensive to buy few cans," says Ibra.

‘Kilroy was here’

Graffiti which means words or drawings scribbled on a wall, became part of hip-hop culture when it started back in 1970s and 1980s when graffiti artists began painting New York subway trains. Wall taggings are said to have started in the 20th Century when a graffito phrase ‘Kilroy Was Here’ with an image of Kilroy poking his head and nose over a fence wall was created by US service men during World War II. Some say Grafitti has its roots in the ancient cave art and Egyptian heiroglyphics. In the 1970s Graffiti was almost pandemic in New York with artists tagging trains and subways with little fear of being caught. The artists begun by designing their names with colour adding different elements and this led to a worldwide trend.

- Additional inforamtion from the internet.