“To navigate these overwhelming times, the real self gets eroded. We adapt ourselves to fit in particular spaces and structures. The freedom to be yourself is an illusion, while we conform to fit in.”
Beatrice Wanjiku (b. 1978, Kenya) is one of the foremost Kenyan painters of her generation. For UNSETTLED she has created four new uncompromising works that waver between figuration and abstraction with a provocative rawness. Wanjiku’s investigations into the human psyche result in captivating, haunting works that touch everyone.
In her practice Wanjiku examines the times we are living in. With ambiguous feelings, she senses the world is in a phase of self-combustion. Moved by social and political situations, both on a local as global level, her works interrogate their unsettling impact on our lives. Her paintings are not political, but reflect on our journey as human beings, and how we are forced to constantly adapt to navigate our social spaces. Wanjiku’s paintings scrutinize the human experience, functioning as a mirror of who we are.