 |
| Jowa Ndigirigi, The Old Man |
In 1999 New Jersey native Kevin Patrick Kelly traveled to Africa and spent five weeks painting
in Maralal, a town in the northwestern region of Kenya. While there,
he taught a painting workshop to young people and began a collaboration
with then 14-year-old Jowa Ndigirigi. Kelly and Ndigirigi became instant
friends and painted every day during the rest of Kelly's trip.
Since Kelly's return home four years ago, the two have been in constant
contact with one another. They share letters and mail canvases back
and forth, while exchanging ideas about art-making.
Kelly continues to paint from memory and photographs of his journey,
while Ndigirigi’s work represents his life experiences in Maralal.
Many of Ndigirigi’s paintings explore the traditions of the
various Maralal tribes while other works are based on the sorrow
of the AIDS epidemic and the World Food Program, which delivers food
in the fight against global hunger.
|
