RP-Department of Art and Design

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Spirit possession among the Mijikenda
(Kenya Museum Society, 1989) Orchardson-Mazrui, E.
The Mijikendal believe that illness results from possession by malevolent spirits. Pepo za mwiri, a "spirit of the body", manifests itself in various ailments such as malaria, whooping cough, arthritis and smallpox. Bodily possession is treated with therapy, herbal medicine and magical ornaments. Pepo za kitswa, an Arabic-speaking Muslim "spirit of the head", can cause mental disturbances and necessitates a lengthy course of treatment which is similar but also includes an important exorcism ceremony called ngoma za pepo, "spirit dance". Both kinds of afflictions are diagnosed by specialists, waganga, who first identify the spirit then prescribe the course of appropriate treatment. The identity of the spirit is learned when the healer speaks to it, saying "we are here to listen to your wishes; reveal yourself; we are friends", etc. The spirit is thought to respond to the healer via the possessed person who speaks the spirit's own tongue. Thus, the spirit may be identified as Arab, Pemba, Somali, Maasai, Mugalla, etc. Waganga, who may be men or women, are concerned with curing people and use "good" medicine (uganga). Wachawi practise "bad" medicine in great secrecy. The Mijikenda are convinced that wachawi still exist but, of course, no one who practises uchawi would admit doing so. The belief in the existence of "evil" medicine offers Mijikenda people a convenient excuse when they are in conflict with their community. By claiming to be possessed by an Arab spirit, or being the victim of uchawi, an individual may go to a Muslim muganga who will exorcise the spirit. When this happens, it is often said that the spirit wanted the individual to break with Mijikenda tradition2. Entrepreneurs for example have commonly adopted this method of distancing themselves from the community.
Innovation in Pedagogy: 2-D Animation as Information Communication Technology (lCT) Software for the Government's. One-Laptop-per-Child (OLC) Project
(Riara University, 2013) Vikiru, George
Creativity and Aesthetics: A Case of Women's Beaded Ornaments in the Kenyan Coast
(2013) Orchardson-Mazrui, E.
Available literature on traditional African Art virtually ignores women's creative and aesthetic sensibilities in artistic production. When women's traditional African art is mentioned, focus is made within the crafts, giving an impression that crafts are less significant than art forms such as sculpture; which are produced by men. This situation obscures the significance of African women's art in society. Hence, through an in depth analysis of selected women's beadwork from the Kenyan coast, this paper examines creativity, aesthetics, and symbolism in these works of art. The paper is of the opinion that women's beadwork can be placed within the realm of poetic idiophones as found in poetry where the repetition of words, sounds, and rhythm heighten a poem's aesthetic effects and invoke various images in the reader. It is our contention that women's beadwork is a valuable contribution to the stylistic and aesthetic continuum peculiar to the East African coastal strip. Further, using the headwork under discussion, the paper shows the interrelationship between Mathematics and Art and Design demonstrating that coastal women created aesthetically pleasing beadwork using elements and principles of art, and certain mathematical formulas. The paper employs functionalism and formalism theories to interrogate its concerns. The functionalist approach recognizes that the aesthetics in artefacts seek to satisfy psychological, social, economic and cultural needs of the society. Even though the functionalist theory has come under sharp criticism and waned in interest, it is useful when applied to beadwork under discussion. However, since aesthetics is often culture-bound, we need to appreciate functionality within the context of the society or community under discussion. Additionally, the paper utilizes the formalistic theory, which looks at the application of elements and principles of art to achieve a unified formal quality in an art object.
Efficacies of 2-D Animation in Health and Security Communication
(Chemchemi International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2015) Vikiru, George
Health is categorized as a security issue as its lack causes individuals to fall ill, be disabled or die. Being deficient of health can therefore disrupt entire populations, economies, and governments. The Copenhagen School proposed the Securitization Theory that could be applied in the identification and response to given health threats. Part of the theory’s strategy is the use of effective communication in mobilizing groups that would combat identified health threats. Other studies have reported the use of 2-D Animation, a type of ICT-based solution, as gaining currency in situations where it is important to get the message through to communities and have it correctly internalized. This paper puts a case for the utilization of 2-D Animation for effective communication in society for health and security. It reports a study that sought to establish whether 2-D Animation was effective in communicating good hygiene practice messages to children in Githurai Location, Kiambu County, Kenya. The study first identified how good hygiene practice messages were being communicated in the area. An experimental target group was then treated with a 2-D animation developed for study before psychometrics were applied to determine its efficacy in effectively communicating the messages. Data obtained was analyzed using independent t-tests and a one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings showed a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group that had not been treated with the animation (t (292) =5.031, p ˂ 0.001). The findings further indicated a significant difference in all the thinking skills of the Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives of the Cognitive Domain except evaluation. The results therefore put a case for 2-D Animation’s consideration as an ICT mitigator for effective communication in society for health and security.
Folklinguistic Perceptions and Attitudes towards Kenyan Varieties of Swahili
(Quality Content of Saxony [Qucosa], 2017) Githinji, Peter; Njoroge, Martin
This paper examines the perceptions of Kenyans towards the way other Kenyans speak Swahili from a Folklinguistic perspective. The study involved two main tasks. In the first task, informants were provided with blank maps of the country and asked to identify areas where they thought there was a distinct way of speaking Swahili. In the second task, they were provided with the same map showing Kenyan’s eight provinces and asked to rank them in terms of correctness, attractiveness and closeness to the way they speak Swahili. The results show little or no difference between the rankings of correctness versus pleasantness of Swahili varieties. The study also shows that Kenyans do not identify with the normative variety modeled on the standardized or Kenyan coastal Swahili which is used in the schools or mass media. Similar to other studies in perceptual dialectology, the informants’ judgments were influenced by their background knowledge and stereotypes about different regions that have little or no relationship with linguistics factors per se. Unlike other studies in perceptual dialectology however, languages that are not the object of study have a strong influence on respondents’ perceptions. Beside the ethnic stereotypes that characterize Kenya’s multilingual discourse, Kenyans’ attitudes towards varieties of Swahili seem to be filtered through the lens of a competitive hegemonic language that has enjoyed historical advantage. As a result, the promotion of an idealized variety of Swahili in light of the dominance of English and the continued use of local languages is not likely to increase its acceptability as a national and official language.
‘The Soul of My Sculptures’ - A Contemplative Analysis of the Work of Naftal Mageto Momanyi
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2020) Wango, Kamau
Despite the significant resurgence of expressive creativity through works of art in various disciplines particularly painting and sculpture, the underlying inspiration and subsequent endeavour for self-expression by artists, be it derived from experiences, observation of events and occurrences, imaginative compositions or even from the subconscious mind or surrealism, is often not very well articulated among the artistic audience or general public. This is in view of the general consensus among creative artists that works of Art are composed or created to be inherently expressive of something and hence should be given the opportunity to be seen and appreciated. It has been observed that often the artistic audience or general public only superficially examine the works of art in passing without necessarily delving into the expressive essence of the work itself. Hence the genesis of the expression, thought patterns or the philosophical foundation that underscore an artist’s inspiration and subsequent creation of that work is therefore just as often missed. If any work of art is not accorded adequate exposure and does not receive a fair amount of interrogation in terms of its creative and expressive substance or in terms of its contribution to the development of style, technique and application of materials, then that artwork runs the risk of being redundant. In addition, if this interrogation is not brought to the attention of the relevant artistic audience or articulated to the general public through exhibitions, relevant artistic fora, such as seminars, workshops and conferences, then the work amounts to a missed opportunity of its original purpose. There has been of course the debate about the nature and extent of participation by the ‘audience’ including the public and whether this audience bears the prerequisite qualification to interrogate or critique works of art including sculptural pieces. This paper does not, however, deal with this particular query. The focus of this paper is to demonstrate that sculptures are not mere embellishments but are a fundamental tool for commentary about pertinent societal issues in selected areas of endeavour. They, therefore, epitomize the artist’s point of view (POV) or opinion that underscores his or her sense of individual self-expression and hence lends credence to each piece. The paper, therefore, examines firstly, the origins of African sculptural tradition and the development of self-expression as a key tenet of form/content appreciation; and secondly the purposeful derivation of ideas from broad themes as well as the composition of specific subject matter as an avenue for the sculptor to address the retinue of societal issues. The paper covers six sculptural pieces seen from different angles created by Naftal Mageto Momanyi, a prominent Kenyan sculptor who works mainly using granite, wood and soapstone
‘Painting With My Students’ – Development of Subject Matter and Refinement of Personal Styles in Selected Paintings among Fine Art Students at Kenyatta University
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2020) Wango, Kamau
Students of Fine Art at the University level embark on many artistic undertakings within their semester durations as a requirement of their programme. In painting, a major objective is the development of a personal style that occurs over a period of time as each student works through the respective painting units spread out across the academic years. As they work through the units, they consolidate and refine their individual styles in readiness to begin their artistic careers in earnest, as well as enhancing their individual growth. This means that they spend a significant amount of time refining their skills as well as gaining knowledge. Another objective in painting is to help students delve into the realm of thematic interpretation in order to acquire the impetus towards an inquiry into the myriad of pertinent issues in their environment and life. This enables them to develop a rationalised personal view that in turn allows them to develop subject matter for the purpose of self-expression. Students’ work is often viewed as students’ work. This paper posits that this, however, does not necessarily denote that students, who for the purpose of this paper will be referred to as student artists, do not already possess the capacity to examine and interpret themes and extract admirable interpretations and anecdotes of self-expression. It does not imply that they do not already possess admirable painting skills even as they endeavour to further develop and refine these skills and consolidate their individual styles. It does not, subsequently, imply that what they paint lacks the capacity for significant inquiry, commentary and sense of self-expression. This paper delves into selected paintings by student Artists to determine whether their level of visual execution, construction and composition of subject
The Dynamics of Art and Craft Curriculum in Enhancing Child Growth and Development
(East African Nature & Science Organization, 2020) Ogutu, Wanyama
As the government of Kenya is geared towards achieving sustainable development goals and Kenya Big 4 Agenda, the Ministry of Education rolled out the new education system 2-6-3-3-3 dubbed “Competence Base Curriculum” whose mission is to nurture every learner’s potential. It received overwhelming appraisal from different stakeholders;- locally and internationally eliciting debates in the local media, radio and television talk shows. Prior to this bold step in the curriculum, the government of Kenya set up various taskforces to review the 8.4.4 curricula in 1992, 1995, 2002, 2009 and 2011, reviewed by the late Professor Douglas Odhiambo which asserted the atrocities of children not developing to their full potential and its negative effect in threatening the realization of Kenya Vision 2030. The paper has established diverse ways in which the curriculum in art and craft is enhancing the growth and development of a child’s emotional, physical, cognitive, and creativity. It has hypothetical employ qualitative analysis to examine art and craft in terms of the art stages of growth and development of a child. Further, the paper has briefly observed that naturalistic child growth and development of Leonardo Da Vinci - (A high renaissance artist of 14th century)- and the researcher’s teaching experience, as the case study and scope. It has concluded that any curriculum design ought to consider art and craft because it has an inherent psychological and development power that develops a child into full potential.
‘Matatu’ Graffiti as an Avenue for Self-Expression and Social Commentary among the Youth in Nairobi, Kenya
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2020) Wango, Kamau
This paper seeks to examine urban Art in Kenya as an integral part of urban culture with particular emphasis on ‘matatu’ graffiti, (an off-shoot of ‘mural’ graffiti that is depicted on medium-sized vehicles used for urban public transport) as an avenue for self-expression among the youth in Nairobi, Kenya. It will also examine other forms of related art, such as the genre of painting referred to as street art and explore the genesis of themes and subject matter that interest the youth. In order to generate a chronology of thoughts, the paper approaches the above first from the broad spectrum of urban culture and what it entails and then breaks it down to one of the most critical and visible elements of urban culture which is urban Art which, in turn, encompasses many forms of visual creativity both in two dimensional and three-dimensional dispensations that manifest themselves within an urban environment. The paper delves substantively on the generation of broad themes that form the basis of varied subject matters that are regularly depicted in matatu graffiti. These broad themes often derive or emanate from sociocultural, socioeconomic, religious and political factors. The paper also examines the age bracket (herein referred to as The Youth) which embraces urban Art both in terms of its execution and its consumption as well as the underlying factors that seem to make it broadly attractive and acceptable as a means of self-expression, collective discourse and social commentary among the youth. The paper finally examines the relationship between matatu graffiti and hip-hop, a genre of music characterized by terse verbal symbolism and which is increasingly associated with urban culture and the complexities of social expression in the contemporary urban world.
The Role of Hyperrealism in Painted Portraiture –Engaging Culture: Analysis of Portraiture by Eddy Ochieng
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2020) Wango, Kamau
Portraiture remains one of the most fascinating genres of Art; it is engaging, intriguing and often, perhaps, a little controversial. Portraiture has been executed through the centuries in a variety of styles and media and for different purposes, from the ancient Egyptian cave paintings, through the medieval civilisations to the renaissance, new world, the great divide, modern era and ultimately to post-modernism pop art portraiture. One question that has always resurfaced in the interrogation of portraiture is what is the role of portraiture. There have also been incessant questions about the effectiveness or even need for some painting styles used in portraiture as well as other genres. Within contemporary Art, one of these styles that have often generated passionate arguments between those who love it and those who do not subscribe to it is hyperrealism. Detractors of hyperrealism, which started in the early 1970s, have consistently argued that by virtue of its reliance upon photography, what it seeks to portray is already achieved through photography and hence it is artistically ‘pointless’ since it serves no further visual purpose. Dwelling specifically on this artistic ‘pointlessness’, they have even questioned whether hyperrealism is Art or just a very refined and admirable show of skill. Proponents of hyperrealism, however, bask in the satisfaction that it retrieves all photographic cues from a digital image or a high-resolution photograph and converts or transforms these into a different realm of artistry and perfection by the placement of even more minute and meticulous details that would otherwise be invisible to the eye. This creativity culminates in an entirely new form, an ‘illusion of reality’ more artistically and visually engaging than the original photograph. The detractors, therefore, state that since hyperrealism is derived from photography as a reference base, then it is redundant as a style. In order to address this query, this paper examines the role of hyperrealism in modern portraiture as it is specifically applied to Kenyan portraiture executed by Eddie Ochieng’, an outstanding Kenyan hyperrealist, in order to determine its own ‘visual efficacy’ as a sub-genre. The portraiture itself, as featured in this paper, focuses on aspects of culture to explore the overall visual impact as a result of the application of hyperrealism.
Personal Style in Portraiture Painting – ‘Visual Dialogues With Water’ Analysis of the Portraiture by Eddy Ochieng
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2020) Wango, Kamau
Portraiture is arguably one of the most celebrated genres of art and artistic expression through the ages. Artists have always sought to create depictions of themselves in self-portraits as well as the depiction of sitters through in-person posed sessions, referencing, or imagination. They have also used portraiture for artistic expression particularly when aiming to depict human feelings and emotions for the practical reason that human expression itself is synonymous with facial expression. It is only through the study of physical facial expression that an artist is able to derive artistic expression in a continuum that ranges from extreme joy signified by laughter to extreme distress, signified by tears. In between the continuum is a whole retinue of feelings and emotions, such as amusement, happiness, irritation, anger, sorrow, despair, fear, anxiety, sadness, and many other human manifestations that emanate from life’s experiences. Apart from the obvious outer facial expressions, there are also the innate expressions that underscore personality and character that artists wish to unearth, study, and explore in their subjects. To execute and achieve these expressions in portraiture, the artist uses selected media, styles, and techniques that best suit the desired objective. This paper posits that there exists a correlation between individual style and the effectiveness of the intended purpose of portraiture where effectiveness applies to the communicative or expressive value of a portrait as well as its overall acclaim. It must be noted that there is no portraiture that lacks intent, be it portrayal of likeness from selfportraits or sitters or portraits derived from photographs, thematic referencing that leads to the depiction of certain facial expressions in subject matter or creating portraiture from imagination including surrealistic inspirations. When certain portraiture is at times perceived as not being effective in terms of its intent, it is fair to conclude that this may often be as a result of the personal style of the artist or its execution being incompatible with the intended purpose. Hence viewers fail to see or extract what was intended for them to decipher essentially because they are distracted by the personal style. In the same token, when portraiture is seen to be effective, it is often presupposed that this is a result of the personal style of the artist and its execution being deemed compatible with its intended purpose. Hence to a significant extent, the viewer is able to extract this purpose because they are aided by rather than distracted by the style and specifically, personal stylistic rendition. This paper examines the portraiture of Eddy Ochieng, an outstanding Kenyan hyperrealist in order to ascertain whether there exists this visual correlation between his personal style and the intent of his portraiture. He embraces the hyperrealism style featuring some selfportraits as well as of others derived from photographs. The inquiry is whether this style delves into any other meaning other than the quest for the photographic representation of likeness and whether the likeness itself is effectively extracted.
The Dynamics of Art and Craft Curriculum in Enhancing Child Growth and Development
(East African Journal of Education Studies,, 2020-08) Ogutu, Wanyama
As the government of Kenya is geared towards achieving sustainable development goals and Kenya Big 4 Agenda, the Ministry of Education rolled out the new education system 2-6-3-3-3 dubbed “Competence Base Curriculum” whose mission is to nurture every learner’s potential. It received overwhelming appraisal from different stakeholders;- locally and internationally eliciting debates in the local media, radio and television talk shows. Prior to this bold step in the curriculum, the government of Kenya set up various taskforces to review the 8.4.4 curricula in 1992, 1995, 2002, 2009 and 2011, reviewed by the late Professor Douglas Odhiambo which asserted the atrocities of children not developing to their full potential and its negative effect in threatening the realization of Kenya Vision 2030. The paper has established diverse ways in which the curriculum in art and craft is enhancing the growth and development of a child’s emotional, physical, cognitive, and creativity. It has hypothetical employ qualitative analysis to examine art and craft in terms of the art stages of growth and development of a child. Further, the paper has briefly observed that naturalistic child growth and development of Leonardo Da Vinci - (A high renaissance artist of 14th century)- and the researcher’s teaching experience, as the case study and scope. It has concluded that any curriculum design ought to consider art and craft because it has an inherent psychological and development power that develops a child into full potential.
Play with Painting & Clay: A Re-Booth of Psychoanalysis Healing on a Child Affected By COVID-19
(East African Nature & Science Organisation, 2021) Ogutu, Wanyama
The world is awakening to the nursing of devastating COVID-19 pandemic effects that resulted in the closure of school among others. Children’s welfare, especially playing was obstructed due to COVID-19 pandemic protective and preventive measures set by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) and other health agencies. Child’s development experts asserted that if a child is inhibited to playing, there are bound to be psychosocial consequences for early childhood development. Educationists together with therapists have applauded the role play with any art forms goings beyond recreation to an expression of their desires, traumas, and elaboration of their conflicts and emotional healing. This paper has established the psychoanalysis and therapeutic process of a child affected by the COVID-19 pandemic while playing with paintings and clay. The researcher explored desktop descriptive qualitative research design. The psychoanalysis instrumentation was employed to evaluate the literature reviews, theoretical framework on its discussion. The paper has accepted the ravages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes to education stakeholders to consider playing with paintings and clay to playing groups or pre-schoolers as mitigation measures for a child affected by COVID-19. It has recommended an actual implementation of the study in the post-COVID-19 period once schools open to ascertain its validity.
Thematic Approach and Derivation of Subject Matter as an Avenue for Expression and Expressiveness in Painting: Analysis of Selected Paintings By Kenyan Contemporary Artists in Nairobi, Kenya
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2021) Wango, Kamau
In painting, just like in other disciplines of art, a thematic approach is often applied by artists in their work because themes define all aspects of human endeavour. A thematic approach is also important in the derivation of subject matter that artists ultimately pursue in their work. It can be said that any painting that is executed can be compartmentalised to fit within a given thematic pattern. Artists often, but not always, actively consider the essence of the theme itself; at times, they instinctively or spontaneously express something on canvas. It is presumed that the ‘intent of the artist’, at any given time, is to depict or express some phenomenon that is derived from the intricacies of human endeavour, behavioural traits, experiential sources, or from an individual’s own emotions and feelings. Ideally, a subject matter emanates from a particular theme, but it is also generally acknowledged that artists do not always necessarily base their work on a theme as a springboard to their core intent, but that the theme ultimately emerges by implication. A theme is too broad to be compressed into a single pictorial composition and, hence, each theme is interpreted into a retinue of ideas by cohorts of artists. A theme, by its description, is also not explicit because it is a guiding or emanative factor; therefore, it is often implied. It would be unusual, however, that an artist fails to put in perspective his or her thematic foundation in describing the final piece of work because artworks always have some thematic connotation even if it is not deliberately intended by the artist. In this regard, there are some kinds of artworks that bear weighty thematic foundations and others that bear some form of useful thematic content embedded in their meaning. This paper seeks to determine the extent to which the concept of the thematic approach is used by artists to derive subject matter in their painting and whether their subsequent paintings are, therefore, theme-specific or are as a result of creative spontaneity. Further, it seeks to find out the nature of the subject matter, the artist’s motivation and inspiration and whether the resultant paintings are effective in rendering the intended visual message to the audience. A powerful theme is not necessarily a fundamental prerequisite for powerful artwork since artworks are rendered differently by different people, but a powerful artwork is often a good indicator of a potent theme. This paper also examines the stylistic approach, content and context applied by the artists in their paintings. The paintings featured in this paper are those done by some of the contemporary Kenyan artists working independently at different studio locations in Nairobi, Kenya. They were identified and interviewed by fourth-year students at Kenyatta University in their study of the local art scene as part of their wider development of individual painting styles
Generation and Interpretation of Sculptural Ideas in Large Scale Stone Sculptures Placed in Outdoor Public Spaces: An Analysis of the Stone Sculptures of Gerald Motondi Oroo.
(East African Nature & Science Organization, 2021) Wango, Kamau
This paper presupposes that there is no artwork, in this case, large-scale outdoor sculptural work, that is undertaken without a defined ‘intent’; the extent and description of which depends on the individual artist and the visual impact of the work. In examining artwork, such intent is often relegated to the sidelines and yet it should constitute the first line of information as to why the work was created in the first place and can form a good basis for the eventual interrogation and interpretation of the work itself by the audience. This paper seeks to delve into the intent of the artist in order to determine the genesis of his motivation and the source of his inspiration and subsequently, also to determine the extent to which the work itself is effective in propagating this intent. Although there is a reference to the expression and expressiveness of artwork as an avenue of understanding how artwork is generally viewed and visually examined, the core purpose of the study gravitates around the intent of this particular artist, his motivation and inspiration. However, in this regard, questions still abound on whether the artist’s individual intent is ‘all encompassing’ or whether there are, indeed, other factors that spur multiple interpretations from the audience that point to new meanings and, therefore, make the work more interactive and engaging. The work featured in this paper makes these arguments even more significant because firstly, they are executed by the same individual and secondly, the pieces were conceived and executed on-site in different countries raising the prospect of intense contextual and cultural implications. The intriguing question that lingers is whether the artist’s personal creative intent is relevant or he is entangled by communal thematic expectations to which he must conform since the work is in the people’s space. This immediately raises questions about the role of ‘outsider’ artist in some instances, in the generation of subject matter and the role of outdoor sculpture placed in public spaces which are expected, in essence, to be in contextual resonance with the local community. The sculptures are large stone sculptures placed in outdoor spaces and done in various media such as marble, granite and soapstone. The work is located in different sites in various countries.
‘Drawing with my Students’ – Development of Clothed Life Drawings among University Fine Art Students. Analysis of Selected Drawings by Second Year Students at Kenyatta University
(East African Nature & Science Organisation, 2021) Kamau, Wango
Students of Fine Art are introduced to drawing in their first year and human figure drawing in their second year. It is presumed that they have already had some element of earlier exposure in other levels of prior studies. The objective of human figure drawing or life drawing is to get the students to a level of applied skill where they can be able to draw and utilize their skill in other aspects of self-expression in other disciplines of Art. This is because life drawing is a fundamental requirement in all disciplines of art from basic sketching to detailed paintings. This paper examines selected work of students to determine the extent to which they are able to achieve this objective within the unit prescribed duration of one semester. The paper also seeks to determine whether the work produced meets the standard of drawing required at this level which then enables the students to subsequently embark on other units of drawing moving forward. This is critical since they are required to apply their life drawing skills in other units as a matter of routine individual expression. In this regard, if they are required to draw or paint an imaginative composition, they would be expected to depict human figures which not only fit within the composition and are well executed but also express the students’ ability to interpret themes and formulate subject matter. For the purpose of these exercises and in order to focus solely on the objectives of human figure composition and detailed development, the students were confined to the use of pencil for the layout, shading and detailing of their work. This is because pencil provides a wide range of manoeuvre for this kind of exercise. In this series of drawings, the students used one particular female model which provided them with the opportunity to visually interact with the individual model and be able to study and observe how the life model adjusts to various poses. This was designed to help draw inspiration as well as make the drawing exercises methodical, enjoyable and purposeful
Role of Statues in the Artistic Commemoration of African Political Leaders: Analysis of 20 Selected National Statues in African Countries.
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2021) Wango, Kamau
Artistic commemoration of leaders and other iconic personalities has been in existence for centuries. Statues in particular have been used as a fitting avenue for the commemoration of political leaders and other luminaries in many fields. The premise upon which statues are made is that the subjects featured initiated and attained, in their lifetimes, concrete achievements that significantly impacted upon the lives of their fellow human beings. Other criteria for commemoration include proven integrity, dedication and selflessness in the service of the country and citizens. Statues as an integral part of public art have often generated substantial controversy on various fronts in many countries. Some of these gravitate around issues such as disputed likeness, queries about the fundamental achievements cited of the subject, at times open protests on the actions, character and integrity of the subject as well as the location of the statues. Other areas of contention include the implication of the presence of statues upon the political psyche of the country and their long-time impact on history, the youth and posterity. This paper examines the extent to which African countries have embraced this mode of artistic rendition to commemorate African political leaders in a way that is commensurate to their achievements. It is outside the scope of this paper to delve into the intricate web of back-and-forth arguments about the ‘concreteness’ of the legacies of the featured leaders who are mainly founding political figures of the respective countries. The paper, however, analyses the artistic essence of the selected statues in terms of their visual impact and whether they are indeed useful in articulating the legacies of the subjects and further, whether they ultimately bear ‘enduring visual value’ that spurs conversation and insight into these legacies. Statues must, at the very least, spur debate and conversation into the legacy of the featured subject. It becomes a form of constant interrogation as history itself takes its course; controversy is not necessarily a negative occurrence since it forms part of this discourse. The concept of immortalization, which is what initiators of statues often hope for is much harder to achieve and difficult to define. The paper examines 20 statues of African political leaders in different African Countries.
Exploration of Human Figure Drawings Using Charcoal Pencil - Analysis of Post-Graduate Drawings by Zephania Lukamba
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2021) Wango, Kamau
Human figure drawing is undertaken and ultimately used for a number of purposes. Artists use it to continually sharpen their skills in order to apply it in the execution of their work in artistic disciplines that pertain to self-expression. Students and other groups as well as individuals embark on human figure drawing in order to acquire and horn their skills for purposes of artistic development that is then applied ultimately to their respective artistic endeavours. However, the drawing and acquisition of skills is a process and people render their human figure drawings to different levels of success and finesse at any given stage. In this process, one draws human figures using certain prescribed guidelines. It is expected that as one works within this process, particularly in a formal learning environment like studio-based work, following these guidelines become essential and helpful in attaining a proportional and accurate human figure drawing. In analysing the featured work executed on toned paper, this paper seeks to determine the extent to which the artist applies the basic tenets of human figure drawing and whether the drawings themselves attain this threshold. The analytical framework includes the depiction of correct proportions, the study of gestures, the suggestion of movement and application of value. Within the development of personal style, the artist specifically explores the effect of charcoal pencil on toned paper as his medium of choice. His methodology includes the application of a variety of tones and the use of focused illumination upon pertinent areas in the drawings to create deliberate effects that highlight the drawings, enhance gestures, suggest movement and add dynamism to the drawings. The drawings include photograph referenced male and female figures as well as separate studies of hands and fee
Drawing With My Students’ - The Role of Surrealism in Self-Expression among University Art Students. Analysis of Selected Surrealistic Work by Fourth Year Students at Kenyatta University
(International Journal of Advanced Research, 2021-02) Dr. Wango, Kamau
Surrealistic art is one of the most engaging and intriguing art genres. Surrealism itself is considered to have been the most influential art movement of the 20th century. Started in the 1920s as a literary movement that eventually took on a visual dimension, its foundational principles have continued to influence the thought process and style of many modern artists in the realm of self-expression. In their studies of many disciplines in the art including genres of painting, drawing and sculpture, students of art at the University usually find the concept of surrealism initially difficult to decipher mainly because of the uniqueness of its own description. The dream-like imageries of surrealism are derived from dreams and the unconscious mind; hence, the students have to contend with the derivation of subject matter from an unusual source. This is challenging for most of them since they are used to formulating subject matter from a purely academic perspective and from themes that they ordinarily relate to in their environment or can easily reference. Although students embark on drawing from their first year of study, they are introduced to surrealistic drawing as a unit in their final year. With their drawing background, it is presumed that by their final year, they have attained adequate levels of drawing skills for application in any artistic challenge. This study examines, through analysis of selected works, firstly, the extent to which students are able to internalise the concept of surrealism and apply it in the construction of the artistic composition, and secondly whether their drawings demonstrate an individual capacity for self-expression and the derivation of meaning, through dream-like imageries drawn from the unconscious mind. The students were exposed to preliminary studies and examination of surrealistic work, discussions of subject matter, origination, style and technique in the course of their unit programme. For the purpose of uniformity of medium, they were instructed to work only in pencil. They were subsequently accorded adequate time and space to embark on their work with class presentations and discussions at prescribed intervals. The resultant drawings were many and varied and the ones selected are those that displayed good artistic execution and/or displayed a certain profoundness of meaning or interpretation.
Effect of Viewing Emotionally Laden Paintings on Attitudes of Male Sex Offenders
(International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 2021-02) Oguda, Benta G. Adhiambo; Vikiru, George; Wasanga, Christine
Creative arts are overly caricatured as non-essentially flossy and unmerited luxury particularly when executed in a jail setting. However, research suggests that art-based prison programs can significantly bear upon the lives of offenders. In this paper the authors make reference to this connotation in order to investigate the potential for an art-based prison program involving repeated viewing of emotionally laden paintings to influence attitudes towards crime among male sex offenders. Towards this goal the authors used a one group pretest-posttest quasi experimental design to assess the participants’ general attitudes to offending (G scale), anticipation of re-offending (A scale), victim hurt denial(V scale) and evaluation of crime as worthwhile(E scale). Rape and defilement convicts aged 18-45 years from Nairobi West Prison participated in sessions that were facilitated three times a week during the 5 week program. A paired T- Test showed statistically significant improvements between post-test1 and pre-test (t=-3.117, p-value=0.003) and between post-test2 and pre-test (t=-2.161, p-value=0.035). Positive results were found for three attitude measures; G scale, A-scale and E-scale. The findings suggest that participation in art prison programs involving repeated viewing of emotive artwork can be an effective intervention resulting in attitude change among male sex offenders.

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