Boniface Maina (Kenyan, b. 1987)
Lives and works in Nanyuki
Working predominantly in painting and drawing, Boniface Maina explores the inconsistencies and conflicts of human interaction within physical space.The distorted, often exaggerated figures that populate his compositions are intricately drawn with interwoven lines, taking on a muscular appearance. Seeming to embody the anatomical study of human form, these figures mirror the particularities of everyday existence, inviting the viewer to reflect on their own physical and social interactions and contortions.
Maina attempts to reconcile traditional art-making techniques with contemporary concerns, resulting in tensions and experimentation in his approach. Paint and ink are layered on various substrates, symbolising foundational aspects upon which individuals expose or personalise themselves. The backgrounds in his compositions serve as supportive highlights, drawing the viewer’s eye; sometimes deepening, and sometimes limiting, their perspective. Through such moves, Maina seeks to initiate dialogues that question societal constructs and conditions.
Maina earned his diploma in Art and Design from the YMCA National Training Institute, Nairobi, in 2008. In 2013 he co-founded Brush Tu artists’ collective, a communal studio space. Solo exhibitions include: Waiting, Watching and Wishing, Circle Art Gallery, 2020; Transitions, Nairobi Gallery, 2017; and Line of Inquiry, The Art Space, Nairobi, 2016. Group exhibitions include: Eastern Voices, Addis Fine Art, London, 2023; After Images, ReLe Gallery, Lagos, 2023; Africa 1:1, Ca’Pesaro, Venice, 2023; Walking the Edge, Afriart Gallery, Kampala, 2022; African Identities, AKKA Project Gallery, Venice, 2022; East African Encounters, Cromwell Place, London, 2021; Young Guns, Circle Art Gallery, 2017. He has exhibited at international art fairs including: Art Dubai, 2022; WopArt Fair, Switzerland, 2022; Cape Town Art Fair, 2021; and AKAA, Paris, 2017. Residencies include Africa 1:1 Lab Residency in Venice, 2023.