Kawira Mwirichia

Kawira Mwirichia (die 2020) be queer artist then curator for Kenya wey ein yard dey Athi River. Na she be multi-disciplinary artist wey them know am for the whole wiase for ein kangas wey moretimes, she dey use ein traditional fine arts for ein paintings den sculputres and drawings all.

Early life and education

Dem born Kawira Mwirichia 1986. Den she dey live for Athi River, Kenya. She die wey them bury am November 2020. She get ein Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Nairobi (Aug 2007-Dec 2012). She take some Astraea Commslab pass inside take do course for LGBTQI activism inside. She use some graphic and web design courses for the Institute of Advanced Technology den Nairobi Institute of Business studies take get ein training for ein arts inside.

Career

To Revolutionary Type Love

Then Kawira Mwirichia ein aim be say she want create more of them Kangas for the 196 countries edey the world inside. Wey she want use each country ein historical moments for demma fights for LGBT Rights take design each specific country ein Kanga. As we enter 2017, Africa get 57 countries, but 37 of them say homosexual activities be criminal offense.

Kangas be them traditional textiles them take cotton make them wey get Swahili sayings for demma top. Dem dey use Kanga for marriage ceremonies inside, them dey lay am for ground top take receive the bride then carry am go the wedding inside, or them dey take receive the people wey rydee them marry.

Kawira Mwirichia explain give we say "For Nairobi inside, for the Kenya there, we get two different art scenes for there." "That place dem dey calll am Masai Market wey edey take from traditional crafts den tribal customs, wey we sana get the contemporary art scene which get people them dey experiment plus other ways of expression." To Revolutionary Type love dey create dialogue plus these two creative worlds, sake of she use traditional textiles take create contemporary art.

Dem dey present the exhibitions plus work other artists do.

Lez Ka-lour!: A Lesbian KamaSutra Colouring Book

Colouring book eget 10 pages wey Lesbians demma KamaSutra positions dey inside. Kawira Mwirichira she make am.

Exhibitions

• To Revolutionary Type Love, Iwaleawahaus at Bayreuth University, 30 June – 30 September 2018
• To Revolutionary Type Love, University of Art HBK, Braunschweig, Germany, June 2018
• "27" hosted by the National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission Shifteye Studios, Nairobi, November 2017
• To Revolutionary Type Love, Goethe Institute, Nairobi, Kenya May 2017
• Jinsiangu's Bodies Unbound, British Institute in Eastern Africa, 2015
• Girl Art Project, GoDown Arts Center, Nairobi, 2011
• 2010 See Us Hear Us Art Festival, Liberty Hall Pangani, Nairobi
• 2010 Changing Faces Changing Spaces Conference, Hilton Hotel, Nairobi

References

1. 'A Bright Light Dimmed Too Soon: Celebrating Queer Activist Kawira Mwirichia'. 5 Novemeber 2020
2. 'Kawira Mwirichia'. The Dots
3. Lichtenstein, Amanda (18 August 2017) 'A Kenyan Artist Designs Revolutionary 'Kanga' Celebrating Queer Love Around the World, Global Voices' Global Voices. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
4. 'Championne et gagnante diversite: decouvrez l'artiste Kawira Mwirichia et ses khangas engages'. OWDIN (in French)
5. 'I have seen my beauty. I have been shown my beauty'. WePresent. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
6. Wilifried, EK (28 December 2017) 'A la decouvert de l'artiste Kawira Mwirichia et de ses Khangas engagees-WYAT Magazine'. Wyat-mag.com (in French). Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
7. Mwirichia, Ms Kawira (5 December 2015). Lez Ka-lour!: A Lesbian KamaSutra Colouring Book. ASIN 151965278X.
8. Michael, Soi (10 November 2017) 27(PDF) (vol 1 No. 1 ed.). Nairobi: National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
9. Kawira Mwirichia - Medienwissenschaften BS. mewi.hbk-bs.de (in German). Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.