Noel Nyamenya

Lives and works in Siaya County, Kenya

Artist statement

I have been working on an extended sculptural installation titled FAMILY FEUD, SUCH A 'BIRD'IDEA / WHOSE HEAD IS THIS since mid 2020 . The installation revolves around birds personified as lions and anthropomorphic creatures engaged in a feud. Some of my sculptures, titled YIN YANG and SIAMESE VULTURES, address duality, light and darkness and compromise. From the installation, the lead character is a vulture named Simba. These sculptures represent two sides of the same coin. Both share a pair of wings, representing balance. I use recycled material and banana fiber which presents a balance in my perception. Banana fiber represents life and its biodegradability. The host of recycled material used include a variety of synthetics that do not degrade easily, posing a great burden to the health of the environment. Lions kill and vultures clean up. Man pollutes but nature responds. Scavenging for materials and through situations have been consistent with my work and thinking, to find 'gold' in the process. My inclination towards using waste / recycled objects has been necessitated by the prohibitive cost of painting material which inhibits my freedom of expression. In using recycled items, ideas keep flowing as I dialogue with waste around me and I get to liberally experiment

Artwork