“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.”
These words of Pablo Picasso aptly describe the work of African tribal artist Khalai Jimase.
Jimase is a Kenyan who works and lives in Saudi Arabia. She exhibits her African tribal art in Saudi Arabia and other countries with the hope of telling the African story and introducing the African culture to the world.
Born in rural Western Kenya and raised in Nairobi’s Kariokor flats, Jimase was inspired by natural feelings.
“I was inspired to paint by the raw emotions on people’s faces. The urge to reproduce those emotions on canvas was an exciting prospect,” Jimase said.
But when she told her family she wanted to pursue arts, this was met with resistance.
Her father said art was not lucrative in Kenya and encouraged her to study something else at university. She did geology and interior design.
“The first time I talked about it was when I was a child. In later years, when I was choosing a university course, I wanted to choose art,” she recalls.
“I remember my father said art did not pay much in Kenya, that I should go for something else. That’s how I ended up studying geology as my first degree.”
Though she started her painting in Kenya, she decided to venture out and try new markets by moving to Saudi Arabia in 2012.
With new terrain and culture came new challenges, which she had to weather.
For a start, Saudi Arabia being a Muslim country governed by religious laws meant she had to work within stricter confines and ideas than what she used to at home.
Jimasa explains that according to the Koran, it is not allowed to reproduce the face of anything with a soul.
And as she paints portraits, it was more than a little challenging trying to get approval to display her work in public places.
“So, my first few exhibitions were in compounds and people’s homes,” she said.
Mostly she exhibited her work in compounds that housed expatriate communities, which meant they were not bound by most of the rules.
However, when Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in 2017 announced Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, things changed for the artist. Part of the vision was the promotion of art and culture.
In a land where there isn’t much colour because the buildings are all beige and people rarely wear colourful clothes, just black buibuis and white khanzus, her art became a breath of fresh air.
They are colourful, rich and very different.
SEE AFRICANS DIFFERENTLY
Jimase is inspired by several artists, including Delita Martin from Saudi, who creates images as a visual language to tell the story of women who have often been marginalised. Another is Bisa Butler, who creates quilts from pictures of black people to expand views of history through themes of family, legacy and migration.
She also draws inspiration from the work of Marcellina Akpotojor, who is known for using castaway Ankara fabric and acrylic paints to explore themes like education and women in Africa.
Through her work, Jimase wants to change opinions across the world on the perception of African people and their culture. She paints mostly women faces.
She also wants her work to impress the values of African culture upon the modern generation.
“I use my portraits to drive home the change in perception of African culture everywhere I go. My portraits help other cultures to recognise that we really aren’t that much different, that we share common values and sometimes common beliefs.”
She finds working in Saudi Arabia interesting due to the geographical location of the country, which enables her to exhibit her work in many different countries.
“I was working here and painting during my free time because at that point, there was not much else to do over the weekends,” she said.
“I found that I had a lot of time on my hands and art materials were easily available to me here as opposed to Kenya. It was easy to make the transition to painting full-time.”
Jimase’s art ranges in price from $1,000 to $5,000 (Sh100,000 to Sh500,000). However, she does have limited edition prints that are much smaller and are sold for as little as $60 (Sh6,000).
“I have found that every latest piece I create becomes my favourite,” she said.
Jimase draws her inspiration from her mother and she wants to become the best version of herself.
“I would say my mother inspired me to become the best version of me, no matter where I went. I am at my best when I am creating art.”
Her dream is to eventually have her African tribal portraits in museums across the world.
“My portraits stand for the values and culture of African people.”
To young artists, Jimase said, “Take time to develop your art. Become a master in your craft, believe in yourself, and the rest will follow.”
The biggest pitfall for artists, she said, would be the message of one’s art being misinterpreted by the community.
“You have to figure out a way to express yourself effectively. The other thing would be finding a community of artists around you because they become your support. If you don’t have a support system in place, life as an artist can be fairly challenging.”
She believes every artist should venture out and share their work with the world rather than limit themselves.
“Sharks in a tank can never grow past a specific size. If you put the same shark in an ocean, you will be amazed at how much larger it can grow. It is the same way with Kenya. Once you leave the country, you will be shocked at how much more you will achieve.”
ART PRODIGY
Below are some of the excerpts of the interview with Jimase.
When did you start appreciating the emotions on people's faces and wanting to paint them?
To be honest, I think I have always loved studying people’s faces. When I was three years old, I stared in front of a mirror and drew my face. I was able to show the creases in my smile and the shadows that the light cast. I remember my father was very shocked when he saw the pencil drawing. I hope that answers your question.
Is there one emotion that you saw that remained with you and therefore you can say it's the starting point for you?
Let me say the one emotion I was looking for was pure, unfiltered joy. It is very rare to see that. What I keep seeing is lost hope and I think that was my starting point and continues to be my inspiration. I keep looking for joy in people’s faces.
Do you have a family?
Every African has a huge extended family.
Who encouraged you to move to Saudi?
A friend I had known since my college days introduced me to a recruitment agent. At the agent’s office I met Mama Kayai (local actor), who told us how her daughter had been there for eight years and how she had built a seven-storey apartment block in Dandora because of her job in Saudi. She was at the agent processing papers for her niece and that was enough to cast out all doubt.
Now that you studied geology, do you use that degree?
I have never been employed as a geologist. Lol. However, I do use mineral slides and compositions as sources of inspiration for the colour combinations in my artwork.
The one emotion I was looking for was pure, unfiltered joy. It is very rare to see that. What I keep seeing is lost hope and I think that was my starting point and continues to be my inspiration. I keep looking for joy in people’s faces
Why geology?
When I completed high school, I was called to university to study BSc in Geology. We were given a two-week window to change courses. I applied to change to a different faculty but I was not accepted. So I studied geology.
How have things changed for you in terms of your perception of art after you moved to Saudi?
My perception of art has remained solid. It was always an avenue of hope for me. It was a way to process my thoughts, to express my feelings and to heal myself.
The one thing I can say that practising art in Saudi has made a difference in is the opportunity to show my work to a bigger audience, which directly translates to a bigger income.
What do the Saudis say about your art?
They are first of all curious and they ask lots of questions. I explain African culture and the values we carry and it becomes a valuable lesson for them. It’s an opportunity for them to embrace our culture and our people.
Edited by T Jalio
