Young, talented and ready to conquer the art world
From left Evans Otieno and Denis Cheriyuot holding pieces of art they have worked on.
When Leonardo Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa in 1503, who knew that it would be worth around $870 million in 2024?
Don't get me wrong, it's not about the price tag, but the value attached to the artwork, or rather the story behind the Mona Lisa that makes it the most valuable painting in the world.
This is what two young Nakuru-based artistes, Evans Otieno and Denis Cheruiyot, would like to see in the future.
That art is not just seen as a product to be sold due to the aesthetic touch it adds to a place., but as a piece to be acquired for the message it preserves and tells.
As we sit at the Galaxarium Art Hive in Agora, Evans shares with Mtaa Wangu that his observation of art consumption in Nakuru is majorly limited to purchases based on the aesthetic look of art pieces rather than the bold message on the piece.
Evans Otieno painting a piece on August 28, 2024. He notes his inspiration comes from what surrounds him.
"Art pieces are an expression of an artist's depiction of what surrounds them and the feeling they get from what they interact with. Each piece has life in it," Evans says as he explains why he became involved in realist painting.
A piece called Boy and the Leopard catches my attention, the inspiration for that particular piece of art he says is how according to some African tradition, boys had to kill a lion or leopard to be equal to a man.
"I paint to preserve messages and tell different stories in societies. Every stroke of the brush is done to create a masterpiece that has value for the community," he says.
Denis Cheriyuot works on an art piece.
According to Denis, the satisfaction he gets from art is telling stories that people can relate to in life.
"Painting can be therapeutic. I was struggling with mental health at one point. I drew a piece that moved me. Seeing my thoughts translated into a piece of art felt alive, something I could imagine. I have since drawn pieces on mental health that many have related to people's struggles," Denis says.
He notes that it is from a mental health piece he made as a finalist in the 2023 Mask Awards.
Denis wants each piece drawn by an artiste to be interpretable and to retain its value.
Evans Otieno displays two art pieces he has worked on during the Uwazi festival on August 27,2024 in Nakuru.
"I make contemporary art and my style is abstract expressionism. This form of art does not depict life as it is, but as it feels or appears to the artist. That's why we encourage people to relate to the message rather than the aesthetic appeal," he notes.
The two are on a mission to draw art that will be shown to the world and its message will sell its value.
Denis goes on to encourage all artists to try exhibitions and competitions so that their art is out there and people can interact with it.
"We have the Mask Award where people can submit their work. This kind of platform challenges an artiste to draw as they feature what message they want to convey. More than that, what an artiste appreciates more is to see that his art attracts different interpretations from people. This is the dream we want to achieve with Art Consumption in Nakuru," he notes.