Right after art school at Kenyatta University, Kenyan artist Fridah Ijai considered joining some of the existing art centres and artist collectives in Nairobi for studio space, mentorship opportunities, and connections. After a few challenges, she decided to work from home, a decision that was supported by her art teacher.
Ijai finds working remotely liberating. She’s able to work within her schedule, explore new concepts or ideas without interruptions or being influenced by others. The biggest struggle is getting shows or platforms to promote her work beyond social media. For instance, Fridah has not had a solo exhibition yet, and she’s eager for such opportunities.
Regardless, she’s figured out a way to promote her work on social media, more specifically Instagram and participate in open-air platforms like the Art in the Open organised by Village Market Mall, which offers artists a table or space to rent within the mall. This is an amazing platform for Fridah to network, speak about her work to potential buyers.
Another platform is at the Affordable Art Show organised by the Museum Society of Kenya. Although she wishes the organisers could consider removing the price limit, which is sometimes unfavourable to the participating artists, she’s grateful for the opportunity to sell her work and, most importantly, to grow her career. She’s also participated in group shows curated by Tewasart Gallery at Village Market and Kobo Trust, Nairobi and Xenson Art Space in Kampala.
Besides focusing on selling her original paintings, Fridah has been exploring selling limited edition prints of her art, and t-shirts, buttons, tote bags merchandise, to make ends meet. Through merchandise, she’s able to offer something for the existing audience of art lovers who can’t afford originals, and it’s also a branding strategy, but currently, she’s focusing more on originals because the reward is bigger and worth it.
In her new works, Kenyan artist Fridah Ijai is challenging herself to create unique work, beyond the beauty; she intends to provoke the viewer’s mind and start a conversation. “I’m trying not to be too careful; I want to be free with my brushes. Also, I don’t want to be predictable, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone, pushing boundaries, and exploring mixed media, including charcoal, which is incredibly liberating,” she explains.
One of the pieces, titled Seeking the higher self-explores self-discovery and the ability to find our purpose in this journey of life. The elongated necks and the ladder are symbolic; the ladder is a symbol of elevation, and the charcoal figure is the higher self on the other side of the ladder that they are yearning to become. “I’m still finding my signature style, so I’m open-minded, for instance, the long necks were not international. It was a proportion error that I embraced, and I’m still exploring it and seeing how far it goes,” she narrates.
Ijai begins her creative process by priming the base of the canvas, then she sketches her ideas and paints the subject, which usually dictates the background colour. Her previous works were characterised by very distinct facial features, a style that is slowly evolving. “With my current work, I’m distorting the distinct facial features. My intention is for the message to be more on the body language and the idea behind the work, and also to speak to a broader audience,” she narrates.
“My work on paper is a bit different from the work on canvas; it’s small in size and experimental, easy to do, and it’s a break from the big work on canvas. I’ve always wanted to work with inks or watercolour on paper, but I didn’t know how to go about it. My approach is a bit playful and free, exploring collage, ink, and sewing (thread). It’s easy to prepare and create the small works. I do a lot of observing. I’m never in control of the process, and the results always surprise me,” she concludes.
The available work is priced between $250 – $2,500. Contact tewasartandpatrons@gmail.com for her online catalogue
