Artist turns her body into canvas

By Emmanuel Mwendwa

Canvases, walls or other public spaces are the typical platforms artists use to express creative ideas. But Kenyan born German video artist has achieved international recognition through a rare form of art — using her body as a canvas.

Ingrid Mwangi uses parts of her body, face, hair and torso, to draw attention to her works that tackle deep-seated social issues.

"My body is the only thing that I own...I react, interpret and question the cliches and stereotypes which faced me...I use art to awaken consciences and stir awareness," she asserts.

Ingrid Mwangi uses her body to tackle deep-seated social issues.

A core element in her artistic creations is her penchant to document the journey of her life.

In her latest exhibition, Intruders, she co-opts her collective identity of Ingrid MwangiRobertHutter.

The event, which premiered at the Goethe Institut, Nairobi, on Tuesday, saw her reveal her identity with Robert Hutter, her husband and creative partner.

Collective identity

"We’ve been working together for years as artists and couple; we share creative ideas. But what is important for us is breaking through stereotypes and selective labels such as man and woman. Our art performances have evolved into a singular format — the collective identity is a reflection of this totality," she remarks.

Post-election violence, plight of internally displaced persons, wanton destruction of environment and the need to promote non-tribal alliances are the main subjects the exhibition explores.

In an interview with The Standard on Saturday, Ingrid noted they jointly seek to showcase thought-provoking artistry using assorted mediums such as sound, video, photography, installations and performance to express creative muses.

"We tend to illuminate artistic imagery and project art as a chance to design and act out our reactions to all manner of occurrences within the society," she adds.

The Intruder revolves around numerous installations namely Human, Kenyan, Mediator (photo), Human Walk video (14 mins), One Kenya video (7mins), May You Not Know (photo), Eastleigh Crossing video (17min) This Place Is Here (photo), Resolution of Lies (photo) and The Cage (12mins).

In her works, Ingrid incessantly explores her African identity and bi-racial heritage.

Born in Nairobi, Ingrid’s father, the late Steve Mwangi, served as a senior Kenya Army officer and later became Nairobi mayor. Her mother, Marga Mwangi, arrived in Kenya just before independence and settled down in marriage. Ingrid attended city schools, prior to relocating to Germany, at age 15.

She often has to contend with the dilemma of her mixed parentage. While she is regarded as ‘white’ in Africa, she is ‘black’ in Europe. The ‘dual colour’ of her skin consistently serves as a platform on which she expresses her artistic concepts.

Cameroonian writer, art critic and curator Simon Njami describes her dual heritage as "…not only symbolic, but physical as well. It runs through her veins, it is also read on her body. That richness, which makes her from here and there creates fragility in her, a prism through which she tries to see herself and see the world." This is perhaps the motivation behind her move to adopt her body as a preferred subject — taking on photography, video art and performance as her medium for creative expression.

Ingrid and husband Robert Hutter. Photo: Emmanuel Mwendwa/Standard

One only needs to encounter her thought-provoking artworks to understand why she uses her body as imagery, effectively complementing her creative projections.

"On numerous instances, I tend to use my body and voice to create pieces that interrogate intercultural social and political transactions discovered through my self-replicated African and European background," she notes.

Expanding fortune

A constant theme in her work is the relationship between violence, memory and identity.

"These are aspects, which I consistently single out as being composed yet uncontrollable forces that audiences have to engage with. I share my feelings within street performances," she asserts.

She has severally been referred to as "a proverbial voice from the wilderness."

Her video installations seek to confront or dispel ingrained cultural stereotypes. In a way, her works send her audiences into self-reflection, challenging them to come to terms with their inner selves.

Subsequently, the video artist has earned acclaim for embracing a critical stance — constantly setting the tone for contemporary African artists’ quest to explore their social and private identities.

On a broader perspective, IngridMwangiRobertHutter has been at the forefront of local art scene, facilitating numerous workshops over the past five years.

"The objective is to offer Kenyan artists an alternative platform for expression, sharing knowledge of manipulating video art and creating tangible links between African artists in the Diaspora and Africa," notes Ingrid.

Her video art projects and installations have also been showcased at the Godown Arts Centre and National Museum of Kenya.