A Showcase of Evolving Creative Processes by Elias Mung’ora, Jared Onyango, and Sandra Wauye
Sandra Wauye, Collectively Composting, 2024. Oil and chalk on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Sandra Wauye.
UJUZI Mentorship, a collaboration between Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI), and Untethered Magic, is proud to announce an exhibition showcasing the evolving artistic journeys of three artists: Elias Mung’ora, Jared Onyango, and Sandra Wauye. The exhibition will feature ongoing bodies of work developed during their participation in the UJUZI program, an alternative artist mentorship initiative for artists based in Kenya, which has been running since November 2023.
The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to witness the evolving artistic processes of Mung’ora, Onyango, and Wauye, who have spent the past months exploring diverse research questions that have informed their creative practices. Rather than a culmination of finished pieces, this exhibition highlights the ideas in progress emerging from their deep engagements with a variety of, in a process that emphasises deep research and contextual thinking.
Artist Biographies
Sandra Wauye, also known as Sandy, is an emerging self-taught artist based in Mombasa, Kenya. Despite being at an early stage in her career, Sandy has participated in various exhibitions, including “Surfacing” in Kampala, “Women in Tech” in Nairobi, and the “Sanaa Art Exhibition” in Adelaide, Australia, all in 2023. Sandy has recently participated in the “32° East Residency” in Kampala (2023) and the “Bahari Huru Residency” in Mombasa (2022).
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Elias Mung’ora’s practice focuses on history and memory, exploring the complexities of urban spaces and the memories embedded within them. He is currently studying anthropology at Nairobi University, enhancing his artistic viewpoint with cultural and historical depth. Elias has been recognised by key galleries and museums, including the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute and the 1-54 Contemporary Art Fair in New York.
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Jared Onyango has studied contemporary dance and choreography at the Performing Arts Research and Training Studios (P.A.R.T.S) in Brussels, Belgium from 2013 to 2015. He also attended Ecole des Sables in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal in 2010, 2012, and 2020. Additionally, Jared was a recipient of the DanceWeb Scholarship at the Impulstanz Festival in Vienna, Austria in 2012, and he took a course in Film and Television at the Mohammed Amin Foundation.
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UJUZI is a collaboratively produced alternative learning program for artists living and working in East Africa. A partnership between the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute and Untethered Magic, UJUZI aims to develop conceptual and aesthetic rigour in artistic practices through a holistic approach to education. The program emphasizes the importance of research and process, fostering multilayered practices where the journey of creation is as vital as the final artistic outputs.
As part of UJUZI, the participating artists engage with creative research methodologies that inform their works, encouraging them to question, experiment, and push the boundaries of their practice. The exhibition serves as an intimate window into this developmental phase, with each artist presenting works that are both a reflection of their evolving thought processes and a testament to the value of sustained artistic inquiry.
The exhibition is on view from the 3rd of October until the 3rd of November, 2024. For more information, please visit the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute.
