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| Cartoonist Michael Munene with one of his paintings. (Photo: Wilberforce Okwiri/Standard) |
By David Odongo
The Standard’s cartoonist Munene will be hosting a two-week art exhibition at the National Museums of Kenya. The exhibition, dubbed ‘Fame, Nature and the Funny’ runs from 6th to 18th August and will feature works of art from the prolific cartoonist.
“It has a good number of paintings of prominent people, wildlife and cartoons, some of which, have never been published,” says Munene.
Genuine empathy
Nairobi’s vibrant, diverse and impossible-to-classify visual arts scene, as well as its plethora of experimental artists, belies any notions of conservatism.
“I could be conservative in my dressing but I am never shy with the paint brush,” says Munene.
Munene’s visual arts often combine formidable technique with genuine empathy for the truly weird, but then he is certainly a kindred spirit when it comes to the world or arts.
His paintings will resonate with those familiar with the work of painters Patrick Mukabi and Yvonne Muinde.
In his cartoons, Munene has a worldly eye for the surreal and the shocking, but there’s tenderness in his paintings as well, especially in the portraits of prominent personalities such as former South African president Nelson Mandela.
“It always depends on my mood. I can go for the softer portrait painting or the wild and aggressive painting of wildlife,” he says.
Figurative painter
Munene, 25, is a figurative painter who has been painting since childhood and continues to address the intersections of portraits and wildlife with unabating desire.
He shares his trajectory as a painter. “I started way back in primary school. In high school, I started entering competitions, which I comfortably won.”
In his last year of high school, he entered a competition run by The Standard and emerged top and that’s how he joined the newspaper.
Five years later, he is the editorial cartoonist, an enviable position.
Coming up with ideas
How does he come up with ideas and motivation to paint?
“I don’t have what writers call a ‘writers block’. As long as I am in a quiet place, the motivation comes.
Everything just comes together. It starts with one conversation, where an image or an object somewhere kind of strikes me. It sits there in my head for a while. Then, I find myself thinking about it. I mostly paint at night,” says Munene.
The artist gives an example of one of his largest paintings, a 5ft by 5ft elephant. The painting is bordered by rough-hewn timber frame, giving it a rugged look.
“I painted this one from 8pm till 3am. Once I start a painting I can’t stop unti it is finished.”
Munene’s paintings bear the precise strokes of an obsessive while his subject matter betrays the predilections of an unsettled mind.
“I prefer water colour as it gives me a chance to play around with brushes and strokes, hence creating superb effects. Oil on canvas is a bit difficult to work with because it limits my creativity.”
Unlike most artists, Munene can draw cartoons, do illustrations and paint as well. He is one of the few artists whose illustrations appear on page one of a national newspaper frequently.
“I even had one illustration appear on page one of India Times. It was a caricature of Ketan Somaia,” reveals Munene.
The paper had picked the cartoon from The Standard online edition.
He credits the late Frank Odoi as having nurtured him into the world of arts.
“I grew up admiring his work, and when I joined The Standard, he held my hand and showed me the way.”
Through art, Munene has also met the high and mighty. He recalls some time last year, Education minister Mutula Kilonzo invited him to his office, just to discuss art.
Impressed
“He had seen my work in the newspaper and he was impressed. I got a call to meet him in his office. For such a busy man, I was humbled when he spared two hours for me. We talked about nothing apart from art. He is an art lover,” reveals Munene.
The exhibition will feature works of art which retail from Sh10,000.
In 2011, Munene won the best caricaturist diadem from the Kenya Association of Cartoonist, Katuni.
“It was a great honour and I believe more awards are coming my way,” says Munene.
“My peers are a great source of inspiration as well. I love going to gallery shows and visiting artist’s studios,” he says.
