Thika Art Collective Studio, Kenya

Gallery

Most of this was thrown out first.

Recent work photographed at the studio, most of it painted or stitched onto salvaged packaging, some of it straight onto canvas. Filter by material. More are added here as work is documented.

Attribution comes from the studio, and from the signature the three sack paintings carry. Titles are descriptive stand ins and materials are described from the photographs, both pending the studio's own wording.

A boda rider in a dark jacket on a red motorcycle, painted onto a flattened Soko maize meal sack, the printed branding showing through behind him

Rider on a red bike

Acrylic on a Soko maize meal sack. Dennis Bull Ndegwa.

A stitched portrait with a crown of green seed packets, a face cut from scorched sheet metal and a deep red fabric dress

Seed packet crown

Seed packets, scorched sheet metal and fabric, machine stitched. George Kamiti.

A rider carrying stacked cardboard boxes strapped to a motorcycle, painted onto a Soko maize meal sack

Rider carrying cargo

Acrylic on a Soko maize meal sack. Dennis Bull Ndegwa.

A portrait whose hair is a dense field of patterned bottle top sheet, with features cut from printed packaging and foil

Bottle top field

Patterned bottle top sheet, cut packaging and foil, machine stitched. George Kamiti.

A matatu painted across a flattened Gala maize meal sack, passengers at every window and the word Khaleesi lettered along the bodywork

Matatu on a Gala sack

Acrylic on a Gala maize meal sack.

A crowded painting of a street confrontation. Helmeted figures with riot shields and batons fill the left, mouths open mid shout, flames run across the centre, a hand holds up a Bible, and a child in school uniform runs at the right

Shields and fire

Acrylic on canvas.

A veiled figure in deep blue with a beaded headdress, cut from corrugated cardboard and set against a poured black and white ground crossed by a single orange band

Veiled figure

Corrugated cardboard, beadwork and poured paint on canvas.

Three figures walking in line, each balancing a large bundle of firewood on their head, painted across a flattened Soko maize meal sack

Carrying firewood

Acrylic on a Soko maize meal sack. Dennis Bull Ndegwa.

A stitched portrait on a dark teal ground, the face cut from warm sheet metal and the hair built from a grid of flattened Zesta tomato paste labels

Tomato paste crown

Flattened tin labels and sheet metal, machine stitched. George Kamiti.

A reclining figure with eyes closed, built from scorched and mottled panels stitched together over a pale backing sheet

Stitched profile

Scorched panels on a sheet ground, machine stitched. George Kamiti.

A potter in a blue shirt carrying two patterned clay vessels, painted on corrugated cardboard set into a ground of poured yellow, black and white paint with red bands

Potter in blue

Corrugated cardboard and poured paint on canvas.

A figure lying asleep on swirling green grass in a white vest, a small toy bear tucked against their back and daisies scattered around them

Asleep on the grass

Oil on canvas.

A hot pink panel torn open to expose the corrugations beneath, with small hammered metal figures set into the opening

Figures in the tear

Hammered metal in torn corrugated cardboard, on a painted ground. George Kamiti.

A stitched figure on a blue ground, the face and shoulders in scorched panels, a deep red leather bodice, and hair built from a grid of bleached tin labels

Bleached labels

Tin labels, scorched panels and leather, machine stitched. George Kamiti.

A smiling face in scorched stitched panels, surrounded by black leather threaded with white lines and studded with brass rosettes, over a strip of shoe polish labels

Brass rosettes

Leather, brass fittings and polish labels, machine stitched. George Kamiti.

Two figures in loose white clothing standing against a deep blue swirl, one holding a bundle of flowers, a butterfly at the shoulder of the other

Two in white

Oil on canvas.

Buying

Most of these are available.

Prices depend on size and material, and the larger share of every sale goes to the artist. Tell the studio which piece caught your eye and we will send dimensions, condition notes and a price.

Enquire about a piece Meet the makers

Sacks, packets, tins, cardboard, and when the work calls for it, canvas.