NAME: Benson Gicharu
TITLE: Pata Potea
MEDIUM: Mixed Media
DIMENSIONS: 118 x 74 cm
ARTWORK DESCRIPTION: Whatever it takes to earn a living in Nairobi. The familiar and unfamiliar paths, straight or crooked, to make ends meet.
ARTIST PROFILE: A self-described activist, Benson says he likes to think outside the box and offer a view challenging conventionally held perspectives. Benson gives voice to the daily life struggles of ordinary people and dares to say what others will not.
Judges' Quotes
The artist takes us to the kiosk down the road where we buy our ‘kibiriti’ (match box). He invites us into a familiar and relatable scene in our city.
The storytelling in this piece is extremely powerful, and it is a story about Kenya and Africa. If you place this piece in a gallery abroad and a Kenyan happens to walk by, she will immediately recognize the familiar scene from home.
Benson captures a scene I am likely to encounter if I walk three blocks down the road from home. The creativity in his use of material is perfectly executed, and the artist has clearly put some thought into this work.
This work is more objective and literal in what it does. The artist displays his technical skill and interpretation, allowing himself to be specific. That specificity, in turn, allows the viewer to connect the work to something much larger. The artist gives us a glimpse into a moment in time in Nairobi. This moment can be easily recognized by viewers from different age groups and neighborhoods across the city.