In Nairobi, a street-art project to strengthen cooperation between Kenyan and Ukrainian artists and raise awareness of the conflict in Ukraine. It is the Ukrainian institute, a public cultural initiative, which is at the origin of this project, in partnership with the Ukrainian embassy in Nairobi. “The Wall” is made up of frescoes painted on the walls of cities. After Berlin, Vienna, Brussels and Marseille, the project is entering the African continent. A collaboration of Ukrainian and Kenyan artists. The result: A triptych of 3 times 280 square meters of drawings.
With our correspondent in Nairobi, Albane Thirouard
The three colorful frescoes stand out on this street in downtown Nairobi. Painting them took a week. Each has its message. Nikita Kravtsov, one of the Ukrainian artists.
“ On the left, children represent future generations, who will respect the freedoms of each country. In the middle, we see two intertwined hands, it is Kenya and Ukraine helping each other. Below, a broken chain symbolizes the end of colonialism. Finally, the last represents our business interests. »
Mohamed Kartar, Moha of his artist name is Kenyan. He participated in the second part of the project: painting two matatus, these buses that circulate in the capital. ” Alina, the Ukrainian artist, taught me techniques and I taught her techniques. When she drew, she had a lot of emotions because this conflict affects families. For me, this is an opportunity to educate Kenyans. »
Project coordinator Katya Taylor is Ukrainian. She does not hide it, the aim is political. ” We are trying to build a relationship with Kenya while Russia is trying to impose its discourse in Africa to gain support. I don’t think you can reverse the opinion of a society with a fresco, but the idea is to encourage a dialogue. »
On the sidewalk, curious passers-by are already stopping to comment on the frescoes.
When the conflict between Ukraine and Russia started, Kenya immediately voted in favor of Ukraine in the United Nations Security Council. It was a clear message from the Kenyan authorities on the conflict. And, when you look at the Kenyan middle class and elites, the vast majority are aligned with this position, and some even argue that Russia should not have invaded Ukraine. More broadly, most Kenyans are well aware of the conflict, but especially from the perspective of its economic fallout.
Dismas Mokua, Nairobi-based political analyst