My Cultural Identity

Art is the window to a man’s soul. Without it, he would never be able to see beyond his immediate world; nor could the world see the man with in. I used the windows as a gateway to express who I am. I incorporated my ancestral history, what makes me? Me? and, also the freedom of expressing myself.

Time Plan

Final Piece

Edited images done in the FMP

Last Minute

most of today I have been looking around for some wood for my shelves , I went to 3 different shops to ask for some MDF wood but the didn't have the right size I needed. I finally found some chip board wood and brackets in B&Q, tomorrow my plan is to hang my final piece abit early than others, so if I need to make any last minute changes I will have time.

last minute changes

Before

After

Before

After
I made the fingers on the wood piece's more dense because I decided to include them in my final piece instead of just as experimentation work.

My interview for Pitt Rivers Museum

My interview for Pitt Rivers Museum

http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/bodyarts/index.php/multimedia/video/176-henna-the-plant-that-binds.html

Culture clashes

i want t include the culture clashes i have as a british kenyan, so im lookin for ideas of how to represent the subject. so far i came up with using the two different flags:

or using butterflies to from each country to represent me.

Setting up final piece

Freedom of Expression

I decided not to go just dedicate a window just for the family and friend, but instead to include them some how in each of my works. I had a free window left so themed this piece on freedom of expression because I've always had problems in my life when people are not as supportive as I would like, I just want to prove myself to them in my work.

Banksy

Using Banksy way of painting I am going to symbolise my friend in his style by highlighting bold colours and leaving the rest of the image black.

Work in process

Me, Myself and I

In this piece I have expressed different aspect of my self in it. I need to find 1 more piece to complete this window.

Robert Raushenberg death

http://www.takepart.com/news/2008/05/14/robert-rauschenberg-dead-at-82

Blog entry with quote from Robert Raushenberg.

"I really feel sorry for people who think things like soap dishes or mirrors or Coke bottles are ugly, because they're surrounded by things like that all day long, and it must make them miserable."

Work in process

I changed the idea of just focusing this window 'Kenya' to ancestral, so I have a wider rage of expressing myself.

Distractions

I've organised to collect one of my windows later on today, so I can start my half term early. I decided to do my work at home because it's more effective when it come to doing work, as I get really distracted into doing other things than work in college.

Laser machine, cutting a piece for my final piece (mocking bird)

Window 3 plan

People who are important to me

In this window I want to base it on family and friend because they mean alot to me.

Window 2 plan

Kenya

For window 2 I have planed to base this window on my Kenyan history. It will include my time line, my family, and culture.

Window 1 plan

Me, Myself and I

For one of the windows I have decided to concentrate on myself. In this piece I will be including self portraits, things that inspire me, my life and anything else that shows who I am as a person.

Recap

Today I have been working through my sketchbook to develope and help me get a clearer idea in which path way will be suitable to my idenity message.

Printing pictures

This week I have been looking everywhere for cheap photo prints for my FMP, but I could not seem to afford most of them because the other place were trying to charge me £27 for my print. Thank god my Mum told me about Costco photo centre, Friday I ordered pictures from Costco online, today I collected them. I got 120 pictures for £4.96, which is really cheap compared to the other places. Now that I have finally got my images printed I can continue with my work.

Originalty

Flowers...... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all utilities of the world

These are my self portraits I took and edited them on photoshop.

Windows

I have kindly been given three windows from one of the members of staff in college, because its not mine I shall have to be extremely careful not to damage it as she wants it back. As these windows have sectioned glasses, I will be using this to my advantage to create small art piece's to go behind the glass, so each section can frame my work .

Changing final piece

Its a day after the group critique and I feel like my final piece idea isn't as strong as I would have liked it to be. I discussed my feelings with Karen earlier on today. I had an idea of instead of panels to represent my self I want to us windows to show a hidden path to ones self. She loved the idea so all I need to do is find some widows for my final piece.

Group Critique

I just finished a concentrate group critique, and I found it effective because it gave me idea's which i can develop my final piece.

Animal alter ego
as I used animal's in my work before to symbolise pride of being Kenyan, I liked the idea to use the animal's in a different reading, than the original idea. By using the animal to represent my alter ego showing aggression, power and difficulties in my life. The reason being why I chose to use animals in my work is because of my love of all animals except snake's. As a result I will continue showing representation through animals, symbolising either my emotions or other things, because this is part of who I am.

Patterns of kenya

Issa Thawar building built in 1895 samburu road oldtown

Old Town architecture

I find the architectural decor of these historical buildings really fascinating. I might incorporate these pattern in parts of my work symbolising the area Mombasa of which my mum grow up in and where I was born.

Patterns of Kenya

Traditional Swahili henna patterns :

Henna has a strong sense of beauty which is express through henna tattooing amongst women. African henna patterns are bold and have large geometric designs. Varying designs have a different meaning for members of each culture, such as good health, fertility, wisdom, protection and spiritual enlightenment. Also depending on the celebration patterns are different, for example traditional bridal henna consist of using black and red pasted around her body makeing her stand out from the croud.

Fort Jesus, Mombasa door carvings

Fort Jesus (History of Mombasa)

Fort Jesus Plaque

FORT JESUS,
MOMBASA, KENYA

The Fort Jesus is located in Mombasa Island which is in the Coast province of Kenya. The Portuguese built Fort Jesus in 1593. The site chosen was a coral ridge at the entrance to the harbor. The Fort was designed by an Italian Architect and Engineer, Joao, Batista Cairato. The earliest known plan of the Fort is in a manuscript Atlas by Manuel Godinho de Heredia - dated 1610 which shows the original layout of the buildings inside the Fort.

Fort Jesus was built to secure the safety of Portuguese living on the East Coast of Africa. It has had a long history of hostilities of the interested parties that used to live in Mombasa.

Omani Arabs attacked the Fort from 1696 to 1698. The state of the Fort can be understood from the plan of Rezende of 1636 and other plans by Don Alvaro? Marquis of Cienfuegas and Jose? Lopes de Sa - made during the brief reoccupation by the Portuguese in 1728 - 1729. In the Cienfuegas plan,the names of the bastions are changed.

Between 1837 and 1895, the Fort was used as barracks for the soldiers. When the British protectorate was proclaimed on the 1st of July 1895, the Fort was converted into a prison. On the 24th October 1958, Fort Jesus was declared a National Park in the custody of the Trustees of the Kenya National Parks. Excavation was carried out and the Fort became a Museum in 1962. The Fort is now an important historical landmark in the East African region.

INTERESTING FORT JESUS HISTORY FROM WIKIPEDIA


Fort Jesus is a Portuguese fort built in 1593 by order of King Philip II of Spain ( King Philip I of Portugal ), then ruler of the joint Portuguese and Spanish Kingdoms, located on Mombasa Island to guard the Old Port of Mombasa, Kenya. It was built in the shape of a man (viewed from the air), and was given the name of Jesus, after Shaikh Isa Bin Tarif Al Bin Ali Al Utbi conquered the fort in 1837 after being asked for assistance by Sayyid Said Bin Sultan , Sultan of Oman . The name Jesus in Arabic means Isa, therefore it means the Fort of Isa ( Isa Bin Tarif ). Isa Bin Tarif , Chief of the Al Bin Ali Al Utbi Tribe , is a descendant of the original uttoobee conquerors of Bahrain . The Al Bin Ali were a politically important group that moved backwards and forwards between Qatar and Bahrain, they were the original dominant group of Zubara area , they were also known for their courage, persistence, and abundant wealth.

Week 7 of the Final Major Project

Silk Screen Prep

Artistic photoshot

Week 6 of Final Major Project

Artistic photoshot

Equipment needed for the photo shoot:
red acrylic paint
green acrylic paint
black acrylic paint

Photography

Today I was watching America's next top model on sky and I remembered seeing a
photo shoot in cycle 10 when the girls had to model paint. so I was researching
other photographers that did similar works and found photography by: Seven n
seven photography, were Amel & Kitty modeled a paint bath series showing
beauty and passion for the art of makeup.

Plan for next Tuesday is to do
a photo shoot inspired by there work.

Photos taken in season 10 of America's Next Top Model

Clarie

Whitney winner of season 10 of America's Next Top Model

Seven and Seven photography (Paint Bath)

Experimental works

Matrials

I am collecting materials that I could use for experimental development before I use it in the fmp wall piece. I found OSB (Oriented Strand Board) wood, and MDF wood from B&Q. Using the wood will allow me to produce more texture images created by the natural grain of the wood. This will allow me to create original tribal patterns that emulate the African theme.

Facing fears

Fear is only deep as the mind allows it.

I'm proud of my self i finally faced my fear of snake and held it. Normally I can't stand being in the same room as snake, they creep me out ....... yuck....... but I had the will power to conquer my fear and held it....

Week 5 of Final Major Project

one to one with karen

I talked to Karen last week because I felt abit lost in my work, so we came up with the idea of different materialised panel's to represent my work.

Week 4 of Final Major Project

Week 3 of Final Major Project

Tribes

Kenya is a multi-ethnic state in East Africa, made up of 52 tripe's.

Bantu
Luhya, Kisii, Kuria, Gusii
Kikuyu, Kamba, Meru, Embu, Tharaka, Mbere
Mijikenda, Taveta, Pokomo, Taita, Digo, Giriama Duruma

Niloti Paraniloti
Luo
Iteso, Turkana
Maasai, Samburu, Njemps
Nandi, Kipsigis, Elgeyo, Sabaot, Marakwet, Tugen, Terik, Pokot

Cushiti
Somali, Rendille, Galla, Boni, Borana, Gabbra, Orma, Sakuye

Swahili
Bajun, Pate, Mvita, Vumba, Ozi, Fundi, Siyu, Shela, Amu

Hunters Gatherers
Dahalo, El-Molo, Ndorobo, Sanye

Kenyan flag meaning

The black stripe represents the African people, while the red stands for the struggle for independence. The green represents Kenya's agriculture and natural resources. The thin white stripes symbolise peace and unity. The central emblem represents Kenya's fight for freedom and the their preparedness to defend that freedom.

Laser cut wood carving

I wanted to develop my inner beast painting further, therefore I went to see the 3D work shop technician. It was a real hassle to get a scanned image of my painting because in the college they only have A4 scanners instead of A2, so instead I photocopied the A2 image into a black and white A4 print and used that in the scanner for the laser cut. The dark image photocopy lead to a different end piece than expected, by only highlighting the lightest part to the image. as a result I thought it was a good experimental piece which I would like to use in the future.

Week 2 of Final Major Project

Planning ahead

My plan for the next few weeks is to produce three sketchbooks, that will help me create a greater final piece, which I have yet to discover.

Plan for......
sketchbook 1: in depth research on my background and collecting inspirational works such as artists, film, music, galleries and everyday living.

sketchbook 2: photography development and experimental findings.

sketchbook 3: final piece ideas.

Gregory Wellman

Maasai warriors (pastels)






Maasai girls (acrylics)

Gregory maasai portraits
I really loved how he got the right tonal colour of the skin of the maasai. Using him as inspiration I created my own tribal portraits in my sketchbook.

Inner beast

I had the idea for a painting which incorporate the national coat of arms of kenya into my self portrait. My intention for this piece is to show power and the release of my inner beast that was waiting to come out.

Using Bete de mode series as inspiration I produced this image in photoshot of my face morphing into a lion face.

Bete de mode By Helmo

'Bete de mode (fashion animals) is a series of 13 images created by Helmo, of blue portraits and red animal portraits, for the Galeries Lafayette in Paris. The four images above are the ones I liked the most wish to incorporate it in my work.