Wangechi Mutu – New York, New York

Wangechi Mutu is a phenomenal artist who is pushing boundaries, raising awareness and making a statement with her art.  Her ability to take any medium and make it into something that people will look at in awe has brought her great accolades from some of the harshest art critics in the world.

Wangechi Mutu

Her work has been seen in the Saachi Gallery, the Susanne Vielmetter Gallery in Los Angeles, California, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Miami Art Museum, Tate Modern in London, the Studio Museum in Harlem in New York, Kunstpalast Dusseldorf in Germany, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Her art is shattering stereotypes about African art and African artists.

You can learn more about this phenomenal woman here.

Wawi Amasha, Santa Monica, California

Wawi Amasha is a very talented artist who is showcasing Kenya through her art. She places a giraffe in almost every picture in honor of her grandfather, Ndwiga ( meaning ‘giraffe’).  She uses art to define who we are, and to inspire people.

The art shows different perspectives of Kenyan life and are vibrant and full of color, highlighting the best that is in our culture. She is beginning to draw a lot of attention and, with her tremendous skills, I am sure that she will be a hit. To learn more about her, visit her website.

Ingrid Mwangi, Ludwigshafen/Rhein, Germany

This is one prolific photographer. Her list of works reads like a book. Ingrid was born in Kenya to a German mother and Kenyan father. She has grown up in both countries and is currently living in Germany. She is very outspoken about prejudice against people of color in Germany, and has used her photography to highlight her cause. Her video paintings, photography, and mixed medium artistry have been showcased in galleries around the world and are so popular that they usually attract large crowds.  To learn more about her art, visit her website.

Grace Ndiritu, London, United Kingdom

Grace Ndiritu provides powerful images with her camera. She has been featured in several galleries in the UK and her shows have inspired intellectual conversation and introspect. She combines music videos, documentaries, and advertising to get her messages across. Her video paintings have been seen at the Chisenhale Gallery, London (2007), the 51st Venice Biennale, and Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2005). To view her work visit this website.

Dawn Okoro – Lubbock, Texas

This is one talented sister with many credits under her belt.  She is a phenomenal artist who has worked with Erykah Badu on her B.L.I.N.D. project, and has been commissioned by Shaun Robinson of Access Hollywood to do a portrait.  Her style is wonderfully eclectic, filled with energy and vibrance.   Her portfolio reads like a book and the places where her art can be found reads like a who’s who page of celebrities and public buildings.

 

She has won three Golden Keys and the American Visions Honor in the Scholastic Art Awards. By age 18, Dawn Okoro’s art was displayed in the Texas State Capitol building.   Her brother’s autism has helped fuel her drive to use her art to help children with developmental disabilities.  2008 should see her doing a lot more and we look forward to all her good works.  For more about Dawn, visit her website.