Thandiwe Muriu showcases Africa’s unique mix of vibrant cultures, textiles and beauty norms. Her photography succinctly places emphasis on celebrating and empowering the woman. By employing rich, vibrant colours she cleverly celebrates her African heritage and successfully tackles issues surrounding identity and self-perception.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya - Thandiwe Muriu discovered photography at 14 thanks to her father. Kenya did not have any formal art schools so she trained herself using books and the internet. Pushing her way through the industry, she started working as a professional photographer at 17 years old. At 21 she was introduced to advertising photography after meeting a local photographer and two years later shot her first advertising campaign. Until 2019, when she transitioned into fine art photography, she worked her way to the top of the industry in Kenya, becoming a photographer of note and the first female to operate in that space. Her career saw her photograph advertisements for some of the biggest companies in East Africa.
As the sole female operating in the male-dominated advertising photography industry, Thandiwe was often faced with questions around self-perception, the role of women in society and the place of tradition. This journey inspired her to begin her Camo series, a personal project that launched her career into the fine-art world. In this body of work she explores and addresses the issues of culture, identity and the place of the woman in a traditional society - all key issues she had faced in the commercial world. Thandiwe Muriu is passionate about celebrating and empowering her fellow women.
Drawing inspiration from everyday faces and crowning her subjects with popular African hairstyles, Thandiwe explores the individual’s quest for identity and cultural roots, and in so doing explores her very own identity, first as an Artist and secondly as a Black Woman. The CAMO series represents the African Woman’s tumultuous voyage to reclaim her self-love which is often excluded from beauty standards in her own community.
A manifestation of the African proverb, "However far the stream flows, it never forgets its source", Thandiwe Muriu consistently reimagines objects associated with the daily lives of Kenyans into bold accessories donned by her subjects. These objects range from tissue rolls to hair pins and mosquito coils the artist grew up utilising. In Kenya an object can have multiple uses beyond its original purpose. This creative recycling is commonplace for a population often lacking in means- as the artist explains, "When you have little, you transform and reuse it."
Though a vivid aesthetic, the Artist takes you on a colourful, reflective journey through her world as a woman living in modern Africa as she reinterprets Contemporary African Portraiture.