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Mwass Githinji
KENYA
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“I grew up in a village where the main sources of entertainment were mythical stories.”
Mwass Githinji, a Kenyan artist who works in Kikuyu town on the outskirts of Nairobi, was born in 1995 in Nakuru.
Mumbi (One Who Creates) | Pastel
$12,000
153 X 100
Inspired by the creation myth of the Agikuyu people and the story of Eve at the Garden of Eden, this artwork explores a futuristic look of Mumbi the matriarch.
The main sources of entertainment there were mythical stories by the fireside, old newspapers, dog-eared storybooks, and a wild imagination.
Mutego (Trap) | Pastel
$11,500
153 X 97
Be wary of the traps set along your way, but close associates or people you are supposed to trust.
For close to seven years after leaving college, Mwass focused on mastering his technique, and experimenting with different materials and mediums.
“Before I knew what art was, and before I could even hold a pen, I was already doodling on the ground.”
Back then, he cleared dirt with his bare hands and used a blunt stick as his brush. Today, that very act of clearing dirt using his hand can probably be traced to the rawness of how he primes canvas.
Kimako (Shock) | Pastel
$11,500
153 X 95
The artwork captures the emotional and physical reaction from shock
The artwork captures the emotional and physical reaction from shock
This piece explores two figures that are waiting by the window to watch each other's first move before they can execute theirs. This long wait could lead to inaction for both.
Andu Eri Gatirishaini (Two People By The Window) | Pastel
$8,500
85 X 69
After graduating high school, Mwass moved to Nairobi, which is 150 miles away from his home village in Nakuru, and enrolled in the Buruburu Institute of Fine Arts for a Diploma in Fine Arts.
“My canvases are a collection of what’s inside us all, which I hang on white walls and discuss in hushed or critical tones.”
“Those feelings that we try so hard to hide are laid bare in my work; those wild thoughts that we can’t utter are the bread to my butter.”
Mwass was once asked if he had a sad childhood since his art is dark and melancholic. The answer to that question is still not known to him. What he knows, for sure, is that his work is a portrayal of the deep-seated state of the human being.
Kioo (Mirror) | Pastel
$9,000
150 X 95
The person depicted has lost his identity due to societal pressures, what he sees on the mirror is an hollow face.
Mwass’ work was nominated for the African Norval Awards. His first solo show was at the prestigious Nairobi National Museum in November 2023. His work has also been exhibited in New York, California, Hungary, Australia, and Korea.
This artworks explores the hidden tactics that humans implore in their dealings, business or otherwise.
Biashara Ghushi (Underhand Tactics) | Pastel
$10,000
153 X 97
This artworks explores the hidden tactics that humans implore in their dealings, business or otherwise.
He dissects human emotion, especially the most vulnerable state of the human being, and exposes how fragile our inner child is.
An exploration of how we all depend on the earth to feed ourselves and our souls.
Maitu Nyongithia (Mother Earth) | Pastel
$12,000
160 X 92
“I explore human emotion to expose the fragility of our inner child.”
Kuhooha (Last Kicks) | Pastel
$5,000
153 X 97
When the world has milked everything out of you, the last minutes before death.
Through the exploration of human anatomy and the expressive use of lines and curves with pastel as my main medium, my paintings delve into the nature of the human experience, merging reality with elements of imagination. I create thought-provoking narratives that resonate with viewers on a personal and emotional level.
Lost in deep thoughts over what was and what could have been.
Matarania (Deep Sorrows) | Pastel
$8,700
74 X 67
He is a mixed media artist, with his primary medium now being pastel on canvas. The work of Mwass Githinji is a reflection of his rural upbringing, African stories/mythology, world philosophies, and a study of great artists, dead or alive.
Gukaya (Shrieking) |Pastel
$5,000
80 X 65
The emotion of shrieking, either from shock or pain, captured.
“Today, my art is a reflection of that very same wild imagination, African stories, philosophies, and a study of great artists who lived before me.”
Mwass Githinji
@mwass_githinji
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