The Sh1 million Kikuyu poem

A vernacular poem penned by Kenyan writer Alexander Nderitu will double up as a unique one-off piece art piece for auction.

The background design on which the poem will appear is the poet’s actual DNA sequence.

‘It’s the ultimate autograph,’ says Nderitu whose English poem, ‘The Nile’ was broadcast by Canadian-based World Poetry Café in July 2018.

The new poem is titled ‘Mathabu ma Carey Francis’ (‘The Mathematics of Carey Francis’) and is written in the Gikuyu language, a first for the writer who is working on a vernacular collection titled, ‘Mathabu ma Carey Francis Na Marebeta Mangi (‘The Mathematics of Carey Francis and Other Poems’).

The poem is in the form of a message from a young man in gicagi (the boondocks) to his better-educated girlfriend in Nairobi City.

It was written in Nyeri County, located at the foot Mt. Kenya which is sacred to the Agikuyu people.

It mentions Gikuyu and Mumbi, the revered founders of the community, some orally-transmitted sayings, and references a popular rhyme about child’s encounter with a frog.

The 46 cm x 61 cm, oil-on-canvas DNA artwork has a minimum bidding price of Kshs 1,000,000 (USD $10,000).

Bids may be made in private or public. Coffee at a four-star Nyeri hotel with the artist is also an option for the winning bidder.

DNA art is a fairly new phenomenon but is steadily gaining popularity, especially in interior decoration.

Apart from one’s DNA sequence, portraits can also be developed from one’s finger or kiss prints.

According to DNA 11, a leading US-based company in this field, ‘DNA Portraits are the world’s most unique and personalized form of art…The tough part is choosing the style, color, size and frame from an almost limitless range of possibilities.

Your personal DNA picture print will be as unique as you are. No two prints will ever be alike.’

Born in Nyeri on William Shakespeare’s birthday, Alexander Nderitu is a novelist, poet and playwright.

Some of his work has been translated into Kiswahili, Chinese, Swedish, Arabic and Japanese. 

In 2014, his narrative poem 'Someone in Africa Loves You' represented Kenyan literature on BBC Commonwealth Postcards.