Some five years ago, if someone told me I would eke a living out of turning a blank canvas or a wall into a piece of art, I could not believe them. How could that even be a viable source of income?
These are 23-year-old Ndereva Mutua's sentiments. Ndereva is graffiti artist hailing from Nairobi's Mathare area. His art is mostly used to inspire social change.
He creates mental pictures, puts them on paper and many times on walls to speak on issues happening in the society. His shining star was spawned when he set off what he never thought would be a career as a pencil artist in 2014.
He later on in 2015 upgraded to doing graffiti.
It was a little difficult for him, being a self-taught skill. He had no one to hold his hand. Ndereva figured out all that he wanted on his own; right from holding a can, to creating a piece of art.
One of the graffiti works done by Ndereva Mutua [Source/TamnaI Wandiema]
He goes on to give us his account on how art has not just changed him but also transforming many lives.
"I continued practising and enhancing my skills. I got to meet Smokillah, one of Nairobi's finest graffiti artists who inspired me. I got to learn a lot from. This gave me the confidence to graduate from doing graffiti on canvas to more of graffiti murals on walls.
As a result, I started earning small gigs around Mathare, painting barbershops, Mpesa shops and even salons. I could be paid and other times could go unpaid. Initial works could earn me from Sh1000 to 2500.
Most people in Mathare started noticing my work and in the process, I was approached by Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) a centre for human rights in Mathare. MSJC is a body promoting social justice in the larger Mathare area.
The body once conducted ‘The art campaign’. It involved the installation of graffiti that could portray activism in Mathare. I was part of the team and we were incentivised to install graffiti murals.
The opportunity was a stepping stone for me. It was not only a platform to showcase and enhance my art but also gave me a chance to use my talent as a tool to educate society.
It is at this point that I started realizing graffiti can pay bills. I could help my mum fend for our family with my little earnings from the gigs.
After the project came to a close, MSJC referred me to PAWA254. Many people who liked my work kept asking me to join PAWA254, vouching for the organization as a great place for an artist like me. This is because they knew I was into activism and social change.
After close to two years at PAWA254, my biggest art breakthrough happened.
Ndereva Mutua, a graffiti artist who has benefitted from the PAWA254 initiative [Source/Tamnai Wandiema]
It was during the Changamka Na Sanaa drive that was aimed at advocating for peace during the 2017 general elections. I erected 3 graffiti murals in Lungalunga, Shauri Moyo and Mukuru Kwa Njenga. I had never earned the much I was paid from this initiative. I felt like it was a miracle. Sh15,000 at the time was too good to be true.
More and more doors started opening. I believe I did a good job because PAWA254 started calling me for more projects that paid even better.
I got to earn up to Sh70,000 which was so unbelievable! They also hired me to install graffiti on their office rooftop and referred me to other organizations that needed graffiti services.
PAWA254 gave me an opportunity that I wouldn’t trade for any other. I moved out of my mum’s house and now I can comfortably pay my bills. Today, I understand creativity from another whole level and perspective.
More importantly, meeting and having to work with great artists. There are many who even do better than me. It is all out of the desire to use my talent for the good of society. It satisfies me.
Currently, I am mentoring 5 budding graffiti artists, all from Mathare. I believe we can use our artistic expression as a medium of empowering ourselves as well as our community socially, economically and creatively."
Ndereva and his ream create expressive graffiti. Art that speaks about issues such as Gender-Based Violence, poaching, teenage pregnancy, drugs and so much more.
They view PAWA254 as an artivism hub. The organization brings together artists and activists to promote artpreneurship and active citizenship.
More than 10,000 youth have benefited from PAWA254's masterclasses, programs, opportunities. This includes notable names like Juliani, Mufasa, Sarabi Band, Teardrops, Bankslave, Anthony & Shamit, Swift Graffiti among others.
According to Bernard Kirathe, the community manager, PAWA254 identifies emerging artists and activists and gives them a chance to gain either skills or access to a network of professionals in their field through training, workshops and events.
Artists, Kirathe says are poets, graffiti artists, dancers, writers, musicians, content creators, photographers, painters, cartoonists, sculptors, designers, illustrators, animators
To become a community member, you have to be using your artwork or creativity for positive social change.
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