acrylic and oil on canvas, 80x100cm
“This painting grew from the turmoil of the 2024 Kenyan finance Bill that threatened to drown us in depth. With my sisters and the canvas in tow, we marched through Nairobi’s CBD where class divisions dissolved, and unity took place. At the height of chaos, tear gas thick in the air, I tripped over my painting. For a split second, with a stampede rushing toward me, I thought so this is it, but a stranger in a bandanna lifted me with ease, our eyes locking in a silent vow: none-left behind. That solidarity became my message – unity against corruption, hope stronger than fear. Reject corrupt Parliament!”
ARTIST BIO: Samantha Cherotich Kirui is a self-taught Kenyan artist whose practice explores femininity, empowerment, and identity. Embracing instinct over convention, she draws from lived experience and cultural narratives to merge the personal with the political. Her work transforms vulnerability into strength and challenges inherited norms, inviting dialogue on resilience, truth, and belonging.