KENYA: Female African artists show off their creations at an art workshop in Kenya aimed specifically at women

Record ID: 1504173

  • Title: KENYA: Female African artists show off their creations at an art workshop in Kenya aimed specifically at women
  • Date: 18th May 2007
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF REEM HASSAN, EGYPTIAN ARTIST, WORKING ON HER PIECE OF ART VARIOUS OF HASSAN'S ARTWORK (SOUNDBITE) (English) REEM HASSAN, EGYPTIAN ARTIST, SAYING: "Egypt is a little bit conservative if you want to exhibit this kind of stuff I think you will find some art critics coming to you and tell you that this is something bad its 'haram' (arabic word meaning sinful) for th
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2007 13:37
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  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA2ZXEE526NRYU5F6OAM0QDEM2J
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Art has always been an important part of the time Eunice Wadu spent with her family. Both Eunice and her husband Sane Wadu are veteran Kenyan artists.
    Although they see themselves as professional equals, Sane is much better known than his wife.
    Eunice Wade feels that she and other female artists don't get the recognition they deserve.
    "We don't have solo exhibitions for women even right now we are not really known and we are still shy but if we are given chance by those who have galleries I think we can make it because I don't see my piece weaker than that of a male artist and I think that idea applies to the other women," she said.
    Being a full-time artist in Kenya is not easy, especially for women. Eunice Wade's paintings are sold for up to 700 US dollars but sometimes it can be months before a sale is made.
    Wade started painting in 1989 at a time when there were hardly any female artists were exhibiting their work in Kenya.
    "A few years ago we used to have very few women in the field of art but currently we have, we have them taking the courage, coming up of course now we have a bigger crowd of women," said Sane Wadu, Eunice's husband,.
    Recently, an artists' foundation called the Kuona Trust held a women's workshop. 17 female artists from all over Africa attended to share their work and experiences.
    Mwandale Mwanyekwa, a sculptor from Tanzania, carved a special piece for the workshop.
    "I realised that women are the most beautiful people in the world but they are also ugly on the other side especially when you try to cheat them they can also turn into a poisonous snake," she said.
    The 29-year-old sculptor had many fans by the end of the workshop.
    "I love the work done by the Tanzanian artist Mwandale especially this one that compares a woman and a poisonous snake," said Fatuma Ali a secondary student who attended the workshop.
    By exposing the artists to diverse influences the two-week workshop was designed to inspire the women to grow and develop their artwork.
    "Women in most countries struggle to become serious artists its male dominated they have far more family pressures children looking after relatives and so on they are often not encouraged to take art seriously and so by doing a women's only workshop it gives women a chance to talk about these problems and actually for them to realise that everybody is pretty much in the same situation no matter where you come from," said Danda Jarolgmek, director of Kuona Trust.
    Egyptian artist Reem Hassan has always had to exercise more restraint than most of the other participants.
    "Egypt is a little bit conservative if you want to exhibit this kind of stuff I think you will find some are critics coming to you and tell you that this is something bad its haram for the Egypt religion," said Hassan.
    Although she is a veteran, Eunice Wadu, got a chance to learn some new techniques.
    "We have really learnt a lot we have talked a lot since all those ten days we have been here we have been talking, working and in fact I know they will change definitely they will not go to sleep," said Wadu.
    At the end of the workshop men were also invited to leave their mark on a floor mural at the venue.
    It was, however, the female artists who gained the most from the workshop. Organisers hope that they will return home and use what they have learnt to create more opportunities to stand out through their art.
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