CAMO 27
“Even if you close your eyes while looking in the mirror the image remains yours.”
African Proverb
This stunning eyewear was deconstructed from metal earrings that Thandiwe Muriu then reconstructed into curled avant frames echoing the Kenyan Jua Kali metalwork style. The Jua Kali (Swahili for ‘fierce sun’) metal industry in Kenya is an informal roadside industry of artisans and handymen who take scrap metal to create distinctive furniture, sculptures and metal fabrications found in the common Kenyan home- all made under the hot Kenyan sun. The Artist passes Jua Kali artisans on her daily commute and paid homage to this inspiring sight through the eyewear of Camo 27.
The intricately woven coiffure of Camo 27 echoes the elaborate Sunday-best headwraps or hair weaves that African women wear when they are going to church. These hair weaves are a dressy hairstyle worn for special occasions and events where each woman seeks to look her best.
The print is reminiscent of a kaleidoscope that the Artist would play with in her childhood. It is fun, bright, full of wonder and deliciously eye catching.
Photography, 2021
Jet Ink Print of FineArt RAG+ Matt 310g mounted on aluminium dibond in black pre-made float frame
