Elias Mung’ora Kenya, b. 1992
Biography
“Through my work, I’m hoping viewers can get something to build onto their own experiences.”
Elias Mung'ora was born in 1992 in Nyeri, Kenya, and he currently lives and works in Nairobi, Kenya.
He briefly studied for a degree programme in Real Estate and Property Management before leaving to pursue a career in visual arts. His work is mostly inspired by life in the urban space of Nairobi with paintings, drawings, photography and wood cut prints being his principal media.
His practice appears to share glimpses into everyday Nairobi’s life by capturing significant moments such as a wedding or a portrait session. His canvases attempt to show both the traces left behind of previous lives and histories, while simultaneously juxtaposing the imbalance of physical spaces and the impact of this imbalance on their inhabitants. Working across mediums, his richly layered canvases demonstrate lived history – incorporating transfers that imbue various historical references, sweeping brush strokes reminiscent of an attempt to whitewash and refresh spaces, and detailed characters living everyday moments.
He’s a member of Brush-Tu Artist Collective, a Nairobi-based artists’ collective, and was a top 10 finalist for the Barclays L'atelier 2017 competition. He was the winner of the Manjano Art Competition in 2016 in Nairobi.
Works
Exhibitions
