One word to describe Thandiwe Muriu’s works? Color.
https://africanetwork.news.blog/2020/11/02/kenyan-photographer-thandiwe-muriu/
At 14 years old, Muriu learned photography using her father’s old camera. Between books and videos, she scavenged for any guide to teach herself since Kenya, her home country, had no official photography schools.
Even though she’s self taught, she managed to become a professor photographer when was only seventeen! Her career took off in just a few years after shooting her first solo advertising campaign, and she was taking photos for East Africa’s biggest companies.
All of Muriu’s works are thoughtful and intentional.
Muriu questions how we view ourselves through photography, especially for women. As a woman in a male-dominated field, she wants to encourage female empowerment. For example, she thinks about the role of women in society. She does all this by using different materials like African textiles or common household items.
Her first series Camo not only addresses this but also is a cultural reflection. The bright colors and patterns push her artistic boundaries and let her go beyond the norms of photography. Muriu’s interpretation of modern African portraits presents a new, bold vision that gives her creative freedom.
A piece from Camo (2022).
The artist still lives in Nairobi, Kenya and occasionally travels for more pieces and interviews.
If you're interested, find more of her work here: https://thandiwemuriu.com/!