Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Thandiwe Muriu discovered photography at 14, experimenting with an old Nikon D80 from her father. Self-taught, she immersed herself in books and video tutorials, learning from every resource she could find, as Kenya did not have any formal photography schools.
As the sole woman operating in the male-dominated commercial photography industry in Kenya, Thandiwe repeatedly confronted questions around the role of women in society, the place of tradition, and her own self-perception.
These experiences inspired her Camo series, a personal project that brought those questions into sharp focus. Thandiwe Muriu showcases Africa’s unique mix of vibrant cultures, textiles and ideas of beauty. The exuberant patterns and playful incorporation of everyday objects showcase her Kenyan identity, pushing the viewer to examine identity and self-expression, exploring what it means to be a strong, modern, woman.
Thandiwe Muriu has works in major collections including: Fondation Gandur from Switzerland, UHODA collection from Belgium, and The Contemporary African Art collection by Pigozzi, Hood Museum of Art, USA, Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection, USA, Joy Simmons Collection, USA
This year, her work will be presented in several group shows: at the Seattle Art Museum, Kunsthal KAdE Museum (Netherlands) and Fondation Vasarely (France) as well as several major biennales planned for 2024.
JOHN YUYI
Born in 1991, John Yuyi is a Taiwanese visual artist based in New York City who uses the internet and social media as both the premise and platform for much of her creative work.
She explores themes of life and of the present which happens to be mainly achieved by social media and the internet. Her works reflect her emotions and her bipolar disorder while questioning society and having fun. As a free woman in a world that judges women, her body becomes a canvas and her narcissism a brush. Nonetheless, the gaze, connection and acceptance of others are of fundamental importance in Yuyi's work. An obsessional study of the self as a means to connect with others and to heal one's own neuroses.
Yuyi already collaborates with international brands for creative campaigns and commercial projects such as Gucci, Nike, Maison Margiela, KENZO, and Burberry. In 2018, Yuyi was listed as Forbes 30 Under 30 - Asia - The Arts, and in 2020 she was listed as British Fashion Council 50 NEW WAVE: Creatives. Her works have also appeared in 9 pages of special reports in The New York Times and cover of VOGUE Taiwan.
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