VULTURES
VS. VANDALISM: NAIROBI’S SOCIAL & POLITICAL GRAFFITI
KATTY HARGRAVE-KERNS
INDEPENDENT STUDY: AU
ABROAD KENYA
16TH APRIL
2012
Acknowledgements
I
would like to thank many people for contributing to the final product of this
paper. First I would like to thank my advisor, Salim Mohamed, for pointing me
in the right direction and connecting me with the right people. I would also
like to thank AU Abroad Kenya Spring 2012 staff, especially Lynsey Ferrell who
has helped guide and push me through my research. I would like to thank all of
the artists who contributed, and those who agreed to be interviewed. I would
especially like to give thanks to Smokillah, who took me around to see various
graffiti in Nairobi and also helped to put me in contact with many artists
around the city. Lastly, I would like to thank my fellow students of the Spring
2012 semester for putting up with my discussion, and their constant support. Especially
Greg Orndorf for helping me with my research, and Randi Saunders who graced me
with her expert editing skills.
Table of Contents
I.
Title
Page………………………………...………………………………………..1
II.
Acknowledgements………………...……………………………...………..…….
2
III.
Table
of Contents…………………………………………………………...……. 3
IV.
Abstract………………………………………………...……………….……..….
4
V.
Introduction…...…………………………………………………..……...….
....5-9
VI.
Methods,
……………………………………………………..…….….......... 10-11
VII.
Nairobi’s
Graffiti History…………………………………………….………11-15
VIII.
Nairobi’s
Graffiti and Wide Audience……………………………………….15-23
IX.
International
Social and Political Graffiti…………………………………….23-27
X.
Provocative
Graffiti in Nairobi……………………………………………….27-29
XI.
Conclusion.……………………………………...…………………..……….
29-30
XII.
Bibliography………………………………………….…………………..….
31-35
XIII.
Appendices……………………………………….…………………....…….
36-40
Abstract
Political and social graffiti is rapidly
shaping the course of Nairobi, Kenya’s future. Although a recently new
phenomenon in this developing city, graffiti is playing an integral role in the
reshaping of civic education, social education, and the voicing of people’s
opinions. Graffiti is an art form that is usually associated with violence and
crime, but graffiti artists in Nairobi seem to challenge most of these
preconceptions by using art, specifically graffiti, to spread messages of peace
and love. Most of the research in the paper is qualitative, collected from personal
interviews, observations, and analysis of academic and newspaper articles. This
paper focuses on the recent (2012) “Ballot Revolution” and an associated
campaign coordinated by Boniface Mwangi wherein graffiti artists are utilizing
images of vultures to depict and describe the current political leaders of
Kenya and are working to promote the use of voting to advance positive change
for the country. This paper shows how graffiti is used
for positive political and social change in a developing city.
Introduction
Art
has become an abstraction of a word, or idea. Art can now, in the year 2012,
literally be anything. This is all thanks to the Dada Art movement of the early
20th century, when even a urinal could be placed in a gallery thank
to the famous Marcel Duchamp in 1917. Art has evolved over thousands of years.
The arts have come to include a wide variety of genres, two of the more popular
and encompassing genres being: the performing arts, and the visual arts. The
performing arts include sub-genres such as theatre, music, and circus, among
countless others. The visual arts can also be broken down into sub-genres such
as drawing, painting (also know as the fine arts), sculpture, architecture,
fashion, etc.
Art
is theoretical, historical, and applicable. It is both taught in schools, and
is seen as a form of rebellion. However, throughout time art indisputably is a
component in shaping human culture and history. Professor Kimani Njogu states
it perfectly in the introduction to his book Cultural Production and Social Change in Kenya, “…art has a
critical role to play in society, because it is, itself, a social phenomenon,”
art is affected by society and vice versa (1). From the first painting on the
walls of the Lascaux caves in France from 17,000 B.C. through today’s film
works by Stephen Spielberg art is culture. Art is timeless; it has always been
there. In a focus group I conducted at the United States International
University (USIU) a student stated that, “anything can be art, it’s
subjective.” The term art can be used as an umbrella term, or, “a flood of
creative freedom,” for many of the types for genres of art (Riggle 243). Most
of the visual arts, or fine arts, are associated with a higher socio-economic
class. These arts are usually displayed in areas generally perceived as
“wealthy” or “hip” only allowing exposure to an elite population. However,
street art is a sub-genre that appears antithetical to most assumptions about
art. But what exactly is street art? Street art is, “illicit and subversive in
nature,” it contrasts art typically displayed in museums (Chung 27).
Street
art is a modern response to art, a way to “weave art into everyday life”
(Riggle 243). Street art is typically a response to political or social
conditions where “urban walls were the canvases for artists denied access to
traditional gallery and museum channels…” (Prigoff 14). However, street art
requires a relationship with the street (or public space) the particular
artwork on which it is displayed, it is not a “museum-in-public” (Riggle 255).
The street is inherent for the interpretation for the “street art,” because it
provides the opportunity for the audience to interact with the art in a way
that is impossible with museum art. As Nicholas Riggle notes in his article, “
Street Art: The Transfiguration of Commonplaces,” artists also install or
present their street art while knowing that it will be removed either
purposefully, or by acts of nature (245). The impermanence of street art adds
to it’s purpose, and interpretations; “street art embodies a different
response- one that truly allows art to join the living,” (Riggle 256). Because
street art is public, urban spaces provide the perfect platform to efficiently
reach a large audience in a short matter of time.
Philadelphia, one of the urban capitals
of the east coast, is the “mural capital of America,” (Prigoff 14). Street art
is not only paintings on walls but also a variety of stenciling, posters, installations,
performances, etc. shown in urban settings; it also, “represents a desire of
humans to leave traces of their existence in the public sphere,” or it forms a
sort of identity, or ownership between the artist and their work (Chung 25).
One of the more commonly referred to types of street art is graffiti, and
graffiti has come to invade urban spaces around the world.
Some critics, and academics like Riggle
may argue that graffiti is not in fact a type of street art, claiming that the
placement of graffiti on the street is not essential in the understanding of
graffiti. However, when graffiti is taken off the walls of a city and put onto
a canvas it completely transforms the meaning, the context. Although it may
physically look the same, the interaction the piece has with its audience
changes. It is no longer a public artwork, seen by the public or fellow
graffiti artists. By removing graffiti from the streets, it changes the
response from its audience. Therefore, the street is an integral part of
graffiti; graffiti is street art. Riggle states that, “graffiti culture was the driving force behind the development
of street art,” as graffiti and street art are not only aesthetically pleasing,
but an important craft that has brought together a large community (253). But
what exactly is graffiti?
Graffiti is an art form, typically
sprayed or written on public spaces like walls, trains, tunnels and overpasses.
The dictionary definition of graffiti is, “marking, as initials, slogans, or
drawings, written, spray painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building
or public restroom, or the like,” coming from the singular graffito meaning,
“Archaeology, an ancient drawing or writing scratched on a wall or other
surface,” (dictionary.com). Modern day graffiti is a visual cultural
experience. It is a social act, “to write graffiti is to communicate” (Clair,
and Rodriguez, 2). Graffiti is unique in that the art form is a visual
performance. The act of writing graffiti, and reaction it incites are using,
“the living body for its medium,” (Neef 424). However, there is an image full
of symbolism, pictures, design and words as an outcome, making it a visual art.
The
Modern Graffiti movement began in New York City in the 1960s as a response to
the rock movement, and freedom of expression. But graffiti has been around
since ancient times, and it is, “recognized as part of man’s basic creative
instinct,” it is the world’s first art form (Sheon 22). The painting on the
cave walls found in Lascaux, France thousands of years ago were a form of
graffito. Today we use the Roman graffiti found on the ancient walls of Pompeii
to learn about their culture, and the people. Graffiti was left alone again
until the mid 19th century when a caricature was published depicting
children writing on the walls. This was the beginning of the documentation and
study of graffiti (Sheon 16). Graffiti during the 21st century is as
thriving as ever, and has evolved with time.
New
York City was the birthplace of spray-can graffiti art. During the 1960s
graffiti “tags” began popping up around the city (See Figure 1, Appendix A).
Tags are purposefully designed signatures, usually a nickname or street name of
the writer, where the goal is to get your signature on as many surfaces as
possible, or “bombing” the city. Taki 183 was one of the first graffiti
taggers, and he became famous within the city. People wanted to emulate him,
and graffiti grew as the 1970s approached in New York City. However as tagging
grew, the style evolved. No longer was the aim only to get your name around the
city, but people were tagging bigger, larger more complex tags, called
“throwups.” Eventually, writers began competing for even more complex and
stared creating “masterpieces,” usually called “pieces” that were a combination
of words and pictures, leaving their tag as a signature or claim to their
piece. New styles began developing, such as 3D, 2D, Wildstyle, and
Semi-Wildstlye (See Figures 2-5, Appendix A).
By the 1980s graffiti had taken over
subway cars, overpasses, abandoned buildings, tunnels, and freight trains. This
in turn led to the spread of modern graffiti phenomenon throughout the country.
Unfortunately graffiti contracted associations with hip-hop, crime, gangs,
violence, and was fiercely campaigned against throughout New York City. New
forces and technologies to remove paint, security measures, and even campaigns
were formulated to eradicate graffiti in urban areas. However, the graffiti
movement shifted instead of dwindling, evolving in order to maintain its place
as a significant part of urban culture. Today graffiti is seen as a nuisance in
most communities of the Western world, but for others graffiti has created this
new global community of artists. Graffiti is where the unheard can voice their
opinions, get their name known, and take claim to public space. Through
globalization and technology graffiti has reached all corners of the urban
world, and has proliferated with the help of the Internet and technology.
Graffiti takes various shapes, forms, and colors in different cultures and
communities across the globe. It has spread from New York to New Dehli to
Nairobi.
Nairobi has it’s own history of graffiti,
distinct from that of cities such as New York. In 2012, coinciding with an
election, there is rise of political graffiti as well as civic education and
social engagement graffiti. Boniface Mwangi, an internationally recognized
photographer, is orchestrating a “Ballot Revolution,” through graffiti pieces
throughout the city depicting Kenyans Members of Parliament (MP)
representatives as Vultures, and calling for citizens to kick out those corrupt
leaders for a better future in Kenya. This relatively new cultural phenomenon,
is creating positive change in Nairobi by spreading messages in the unique and
rapidly developing urban space by attaining a wide audience, being provocative,
and relating to an international graffiti history. For change in Nairobi it is
graffiti’s time.
Methods
This
research is based on qualitative data collected through personal interviews,
focus group interviews, academic articles, participant observation, news,
media, and social media. I also use my own photography to document the works I
discuss. I used my personal contacts through my past internships in the art
community for personal interviews; I also utilized their networking to expand
my collection of interviews. I used social media, Facebook and Twitter, to
contact different graffiti artists, who in turn put me in touch with other
graffiti artists around the city. All of the interviews conducted were
semi-structured, beginning with a few starter questions and letting the
conversation flow. For participant observation I joined graffiti artists while
they did some of their works, and collaborated with them during their brainstorming
sessions for their next graffiti piece. I read both local and international
newspaper articles using the Internet, and Twitter. I used Twitter to follow
responses to various articles, and posting about the graffiti in Nairobi to
reach a population I would not otherwise have access to.
Academically,
there is very little written about graffiti in Nairobi, besides a few personal
blogs. Therefore, most of my research was done through personal interviews and
usage of social media. News and other media coverage were also optimal to use
because I was conducting my research as the ‘Vulture’ graffiti movement was
happening, so I had daily news articles discussing it. Social media provided
the easiest way for me to contact many people I don’t have personal contact
with, and helped me get varied responses and opinions to articles, and the
graffiti within the city.
Personal
interviews were the best way for me to collect data, “It is a powerful way to
gain insight into educations and other important social issues through
understanding the experience of the individuals whose lives reflect those
issues,” (Seidman 14). My Participant observation and focus groups are types of
participatory action research. This approach, “has been described to be a
highly reflective, experiential, and participatory mode of research,” (Berg
197).
Nairobi’s
Graffiti History
Kenya gained its independence in 1963, where political
graffiti and tags were rampant on the walls. However, graffiti as an art form
was unknown to Kenya for many years. Through media and technology the graffiti
scene began to pick up with Matatu Art, 14-26 passenger vans used for public
transport, in the late 1990s and early 2000s (See Figure 6, Appendix A). Matatu
graffiti was a mimic of what the Western world was producing. However,
Nairobi’s street artists began to form their own style in the late 1990s. A
small number of throwups and pieces began to litter the walls of the Parklands
and Pangani neighborhoods, middle class neighborhoods close to downtown Nairobi.
The pioneers of graffiti art in Nairobi were Tak1, Ican, and Phixx (who was
originally from Europe). Around 2001 interest began to spread for this new art
form. A small group of artists began sketching graffiti designs, influenced
mostly by magazines and music videos from the United States. In 2004
independent “writers” – another name for graffiti artists – began to cover
their local neighborhoods with this spray can art. 2006 was the “birth of
modern Nairobi graffiti,” as one writer expressed.
There were several reasons for graffiti’s
takeoff in 2006. First, an art competition in downtown Nairobi called for all
different forms of art, including graffiti. This competition at the Alliance
Francaise brought writers from around the city together for the first time. The
first “crews” – groups of graffiti artists who work together – were formed.
They were “Ill Art Squad” and “Siafo” (Esen). The year 2006 also brought about
the formation of the WAPI festival, or Words and Pictures festival, founded by
Muki Garang and the British Council to bring the underground hip-hop artists
community together, including graffiti artists. Individual writers would come,
see each other’s work and begin collaborating. WAPI began a tradition for
graffiti writers in Nairobi for years to come. More crews were formed, and the
graffiti culture began to spread around the entire city.
In 2007 there was a “Boom” of graffiti.
The “ICG,” (Intense City Group) which was a large crew including 20+ members
was created. However, due to logistics and failed monetary motivations the crew
fell apart. By 2008, businesses and individuals alike in the ghetto and slum
neighborhoods of Kibera and Eastlands were commissioning graffiti pieces for
decorative purposes or for use as advertisements. Within these two years
political graffiti was also on the rise. As the election neared, campaigns and
slogans littered the walls of various neighborhoods. However, after the
disputed election of 2007 where President Kibaki was sworn into office,
violence broke out across the country. There was a tribal-based violence and
conflict in every city from Mombasa to Kisumu. With this post-election violence
came a shift from political graffiti and tags to messages of peace, love, and
anti-tribalism for social education and engagement.
One of the more famous pieces was on a
wall in the Mathare Slum that was commissioned in 2008 (See Figure 7, Appendix
A). It was meant to depict the ongoing violence, and police violence happening
around the country. It was affective. One student was quoted after seeing a
photo of the mural, “it speaks to me. In Kibera I didn’t see much but from my
estate you heard yelling, and shooting, I saw it on TV and [the graffiti piece]
paints the picture of what I did not see,” the art work affected him, even when
the news and noises he heard everyday did not (USIU Focus Group). Another
socially charged graffiti artist was Solo7, also known as Soloman Muhandi.
Solo7 gained international attention for his works in the Kibera slum. He went
around painting every surface he could, from homes to rocks, even people,
spreading messages of peace (See Figure 8, Appendix A). All types of artists
were using graffiti during the Post-election Violence, from dancers to painters
and musicians. One artist was quoted, “[graffiti] was the thing to do,”
everyone had chosen to use this new medium to spread their messages of
tolerance and peace (Owino). But why was it the thing to do?
After the post-election violence subsided
in the end of 2008 graffiti so did graffiti. However graffiti artists began to,
“get serious,” (Esen). “Spray Uzi” and “3WG” or Third World Graffiti, two of
the most famous graffiti crews currently in Nairobi formed as 2009 approached.
The members of these two crews are used for commissioned pieces, and are members
of international crews from countries like Germany, Singapore, United States,
and Spain. Although the amount off graffiti written on the walls was
diminishing after 2008, those who stuck with it began to mature and develop
their styles. The end of the year 2011 brought the end of the WAPI festival,
which had lost funding after five years. This was a huge blow for the graffiti
community. Multiple interviews with Nairobi’s graffiti artists were
encouraging, with or without WAPI there will always be graffiti; artists are
not concerned for the graffiti community especially with the upcoming
elections.
As the elections approach, memories of
the 2008 post-election violence are resurfacing and there is a lot of tension
in Nairobi as people worry about the possibility of the violence repeating
itself. At the turn of the new-year political graffiti proliferated, signs
reading, “[insert politician] 4 GOVERNOR” or supporting political parties cover
all surfaces of Nairobi, especially with the new road infrastructure creating
large wall space to be besieged by political support and slogans (See Figures
9-10, Appendix A). Along with the rise of political graffiti, civic education
and social engagement graffiti has popped up all around the city. Boniface
Mwangi is orchestrating over 100 graffiti pieces for a “Ballot Revolution,”
throughout Nairobi. The depiction of Vulture MPs, words describing Kenya’s
corrupt political and social state, and ideas for a successful and hopeful
Kenya are making it graffiti’s time for soliciting change.
The first Vulture graffiti piece was done
late at night in downtown Nairobi, near they City Market (See Figure 11,
Appendix A). The mural depicts an MP as a Vulture, sitting on a large throne
crushing a human face with a briefcase overflowing with cash locked to the
throne. The left-hand side of the mural shows what the creators see as the
current state of Kenya, listing government scandals, theft, and bribery known
to the public where no repercussions were made. The vulture is saying, “Am a
tribal leader, they loot, rape, burn and kill in my defense. I steal their
taxes, grab land, but the idiots will still vote for me.” Next to the vulture
is a crowd of Kenyans, calling for change. The graffiti artists are using the
phrase, “My Voice, My Vote, Our Future,” to call Kenyans to action by voting
those political leaders accused of corruption or bribery out of office.
Underneath this crowd it bluntly states, “MPs screwing Kenyans Since 1963.” The
right hand side of the piece depicts the future Kenyans want, with honest
leaders.
The second product of the vulture
movement involved the use of stencils (pre-cut outlines that are sprayed over
with paint) painted by multiple zebra crossings, again calling people to action
with their votes (See Figure 12, Appendix A). Shortly after the first piece was
completed a second piece appeared on Kenyatta Avenue, a main street in downtown
Nairobi (See Figure 13, Appendix A). This piece called for the “power of the
people,” through voting. This showed the people taking down the Vulture MPs
together, stating, “Real change is possible.”
The third and final piece done in
downtown Nairobi was on a public restroom on Koinange Street (See Figure 14,
Appendix A). Again the artists list words to describe their MP, with the word
“MP” crossed out with a red line of paint and is replaced with the word,
“Vultures.” On the wall lies a long list in both English and Swahili of harsh
insults directly towards the countries politicians. The right side of the mural
shows figures of people, meant to represent Kenyan citizens, chasing away the
Vultures with their ballots, again calling for a “ballot revolution.” Around
the corner, still on the walls of the bathroom lies a figure with no face,
calling to various communities in Kenya to stand up against the vultures.
Boniface Mwangi waited to come out in public saying he had painted the murals
until after the ones in town were completed. Mwangi then announced that he and
his anonymous team of graffiti artists were moving into the neighborhoods of
the city, doing up to 100 graffiti pieces to make sure the message is visible
to all.
Graffiti’s
Wide Audience: The People of Nairobi are Talking
Visibility
Graffiti needs to capture attention; it
needs a wide audience to have an effect. Nairobi, being a city affluent with
urban culture, provides the best platform to gain visibility. The WAPI festival
was a turning point in graffiti’s history in Nairobi. However, without the
urban environment of Nairobi WAPI would not have flourished, and therefore neither
would have graffiti. In Nairobi there is a market for graffiti as graphic
design. Since Nairobi is the capital city it holds the most businesses, and the
most resources for the job market in graffiti and graphic design. The
proliferation of graffiti’s audience in Nairobi is because of its simple style.
Graffiti typically done in wildstyle is impossible to interpret, and therefore
cannot get it’s message across to a large population of people. However a
graffiti artist in Nairobi explains, “We try to make it easier for ordinary
people to read,” to gain access to a wider audience, not limiting their art for
other graffiti artists (Smokillah).
Graffiti is public art, viewed by the
public, allowing the public to participate in a larger dialogue, and encouraging
change in the urban landscape, “the main aim is to be visible,” (Spocter 302).
Urban spaces have large audiences. They are centralized spaces where
information is easily available, and because of this “graffiti artists would
get maximum exposure in these high-traffic density areas,” (Spocter 298).
Graffiti is argued to be inherently urban; a city with no graffiti wouldn’t be
a city at all (Iveson 131). Ferrell and Weide argue that, “graffiti’s
engagement with the urban environment,” is mandatory. This is in large part
because of the audience graffiti caters to within a city. Graffiti appeals to a
wide audience of people, “it is art for the people, not found in galleries for
an exclusive audience,” and it goes across boundaries of class, gender, and race
(Spocter 299). Graffiti holds particular appeal in Nairobi because of the large
number of marginalized poor who gain a voice through the use of street art.
The Vulture graffiti is meant to give a voice to the people
of Nairobi, and it was strategically planned to gain their attention. The first
Vulture piece done had a specific place chosen, according to wall space and
visibility. Boniface Mwangi chose areas of high traffic, to first seize
awareness, and then relocated to neighborhoods to reach those populations that
may have not seen the works downtown. Choosing a spot to display the Vulture
graffiti is part of a complex mapping of the urban space, “the ability to
select appropriate spots for writing graffiti,” or “spot theory,” (Ferrell and
Weide 49). Where graffiti appears in the city is essential to understanding
it’s meaning, because a specific audience was intended to interpret the
artwork. Mwangi smacked the first shocking Vulture piece on the walls outside
of the City Market:
…BOOM!
– an unsolicited aesthetic injection. One is jolted out of whatever hazy
cloud
of practical thought one was in; one is forced to reconsider one’s purely
practical
and rather indifferent relationship to the street, and a curiosity to explore
the
work develops (Riggle 249)
The
City Market has a high volume of traffic and gained a lot of attention, luckily
graffiti is relatively new and wall space was not an issue. By writing graffiti
on these public walls a transformation happens, a public space become private
domains, the artists take claim to the city walls: “in using public and private
property as a surface for communication, writers create a city in common,”
(Iveson 130).
Boniface Mwangi also utilized the most
populated areas of downtown Nairobi by placing stencils at the zebra crossings.
Mwangi and his crew strategically selected specific spots downtown for a
specific audience, “[the spots chosen] are moments in the social process
through which the city and the world of graffiti develop in a dialectic
relationship,” the placement is dynamic with the urban setting creating
cultural significance depending on the location and the graffiti itself
(Ferrell Weide 50).
The Vulture graffiti was a public address
to the people of Nairobi, and eventually to Kenya, “writers choose spots in
particular areas of the city, in this way selecting for particular types of
urban audiences and visibility,” (Ferrell and Weide 53). The second graffiti
piece was placed on Kenyatta Avenue, one of the main downtown areas with high
pedestrian and public transport traffic. However, this piece was much smaller
than the first. The second piece didn’t need to be as ostentatious because the
City Market piece had already caught the attention of Nairobi’s population, and
people were looking for more. Graffiti requires an audience, and the Vulture
pieces had captured one.
The third and last graffiti piece done in
downtown Nairobi was the most strategically placed of them all. It was painted
on a public toilet on Koinange Street, which initially seems of no specific
importance. However, this specific mural was painted on the route many
Parliament members take while driving to work, members they were campaigning
against had no choice but to be confronted with the controversial Vulture
graffiti. The placing of the third and final piece downtown had much more
effect, “a piece of graffiti dislocated from the spot in which it was painted
is not the same graffiti”; it caused a reaction from those members of
government who they are depicting as scavengers, (Ferrell and Weide 50). The
piece had a stronger meaning and impact because of the position of its
audience, the government.
The, “anticipated longevity and
durability,” are also taken into account when choosing spots to paint graffiti
(Ferrell and Weide 53). Mwangi and his team again deliberately painted the
pieces in a specific order. Expecting that the graffiti done by Parliament
would immediately get painted over they chose to paint it last; “writers select
their spots and their audiences as much by time as by place,” (Ferrell and
Weide 57). The graffiti on Koinange Street was immediately painted over within
a few hours, and provoked a response from Parliament. However, that didn’t stop
the graffiti’s impact or visibility.
Many academics argue that graffiti is
painted on ‘non-places,’ or anonymous and temporary spaces such as trains,
overpasses, and motorways. This however is only partially true for Nairobi’s
graffiti. The developing city is a place of constant transport and shift,
almost always a ‘non-place,’ but with technology there is a permanence that is
new to the culture, photos of the graffiti can be preserved digitally, and
actually expand it’s audience though various media, such as newspapers, blogs,
and other social medias.
Because
of the high visibility of the Vulture pieces on the city streets, the media
immediately picked up on the story, allowing its message to spread even more
effectively. Stations such as Nairobi TV (NTV) or K24 aired segments dedicated
to the Vulture graffiti during the evening news. Boniface Mwangi used NTV to
publically announce he was the mastermind behind the campaign. Within one
month, over 18 newspaper articles had been printed or published online. Even
international newspapers, and radio shows picked up on the story, such as BBC,
The Guardian, and Aljazeera. Not only had the Vulture movement spread around
Nairobi and Kenya, but around the globe.
Social
media sites played a huge role in expanding the Vulture movement graffiti.
Photos on cell phones were taken and uploaded to sites such as Twitter and
Facebook. Both local and international blogs were discussing this art
revolution happening in Nairobi. Through various social media and blogs there
is an overall sense of pride amongst the people of Kenya and the world. Kenyans
are happy this graffiti is happening, and are in full support of Mwangi. In
fact, Mwangi was called to the central police station after exposing himself as
the coordinator behind the campaign, and used Twitter to call supporters to
come out with him to the courthouse. He gathered a large support team of both
friends and strangers who are behind hid peaceful protest, his push for a
Ballot Revolution. Most of those who are supporting Mwangi who are using social
media like Twitter and Facebook are the youth. Not only does graffiti have ties
to the youth, furthermore the networks in which the audience is being attained
is through mediums geared towards the youth population.
The Youth Population
Not
only does graffiti visibly reach a wide audience through the urban context, the
news and social media, additionally it directly relates with the youth culture.
In Kenya a majority of the population is considered to be youth (ages 15-35, as
defined in Kenya). A majority of graffiti writers are between the ages of 12
and 30 years old (Kan 20). The majority, the youth, is being targeted by the
Vulture graffiti; they are the defining factor in the upcoming elections.
Graffiti is associated with the youth through the hip-hop culture, searching
for identity, and a relationship with rebellion against authority.
Most
of the graffiti artists within Nairobi were introduced to graffiti through hip
hop music videos and magazines. The culture has remained intertwined with
hip-hop since its inception into the Nairobi culture. The WAPI festival was for
the underground hip-hop scene in Nairobi, because it is one of the defining
trends within the youth culture of Nairobi. Muki Garang was focused on taking
influences of Western hip-hop culture and reshaping the negative connotation around
it to form a culture of expression, including rap, poetry, and graffiti. WAPI
was meant to inspire and, “showcase talent,” (Garang). When asked why graffiti
was involved in the WAPI event Garang expressed that, “I am a hip-hop purist,
we had to have the full embodiment of hip-hop culture, covering all elements,”
including graffiti.
Two
of the more famous graffiti artists, Bankslave and Esen, were hip-hip artists
before they shifted into the graffiti culture. Uhuru, one of the four artists
working on the Vulture graffiti said his audience is, “the youth. Actually the
general public, but mostly youth because they are learning, but everyone else
appreciates it.” The artists’ focus is to relate with the youth, they are the
most important voters in the upcoming elections. Esen acknowledged that hip-hop
and graffiti generally go together but made it clear that graffiti is a culture
that stands on its own in Nairobi, it is now an important part of the culture.
Rahim Otieno, one of the coordinators of the WAPI festival after it moved from
the British Council to the Sarakasi Dome- a performing arts theatre that runs
many programs around Nairobi and abroad—described graffiti as an important part
of, “urban expression,” graffiti is young, and the artists have a lot to say.
Even those outside of the graffiti and hip-hop community acknowledge the strong
ties between graffiti and hip-hop.
The
link between hip-hop youth culture and graffiti exists not only within Nairobi,
but appears in copious academic texts worldwide:
[Hip-hop]
Graffiti provides poor and disadvantaged adolescents with knowledge, skills,
and values important for success in the mainstream. At the same time, it bonds
young people to their urban neighborhoods, empowering them to challenge the
dominant society and to transform rather than escape their communities… [it]
has become an international phenomenon over the last three decades… (Christen
58).
Jim
Prigoff, “look[s] to youth with their spraycans instead of brushes to put
messages up on the walls,” associating the youth with graffiti, instead of
gallery art to spread messages (15). Hip-hop has been used as a platform to
raise social issues from underprivileged societies, which is what graffiti in
Nairobi is exposing with the Vulture graffiti, calling for change though the
people of Kenya’s votes. The graffiti is a peaceful visual protest to the
corruption, violence, and bribery that pollute the current regime and the,
“graffiti artists are part of the vibrant, young, hip-hop culture,” (Spocter
302).
A
large part associating the youth with graffiti is the search for identity, and
rebellion against authority. Part of that need to discover one’s identity, is
finding a community. Graffiti artists have strong relationships with their
crews (groups of graffiti artists working together). One graffiti artist
claimed, “you are lost without a crew,” in the African context community is as
important as self, and this can be applied to the graffiti culture of Nairobi.
Being an artist is one thing, but to be in a crew, you are part of a community
for, “companionship, collaboration, and support,” (Christen 62).
There
is a sense of achievement when a graffiti piece is finished, especially when a
crew works together (Kan 22). This comes from the sense of ownership writers
have over these pieces. In a large city where you can be lost in the masses,
graffiti provides a platform for individuals to use to be heard, to feel known.
Graffiti is seen to be about experimenting with self-identity (Christen, Neef,
Othen-Price, and Rodriguez and Clair). Identity is also sought after using a
form of rebellion against authority. In Nairobi’s case using graffiti against
the corrupt authority “graffiti is clearly a way to resist the status quo, a
tool not for escaping the ghetto, but for challenging the power of those
responsible for its oppression”. The Vulture graffiti is doing just that
challenging authority by ironically ignoring the law to gain attention, to make
a change (Christen 69). Rebellion against established society is appealing to
the youth (Kan 21).
Multiple
graffiti artists around Nairobi were quoted to be interested in graffiti
because it is, “rebellious to the system,” and, “there are no rules, you create
your own rules as part of the creative process,” even stating that, “you have
to have the guts,” to be a graffiti artist. Rodriguez and Clair argue that,
“graffiti may provide a powerful outlet and a form of resistance,” (3). The
Vulture movement is challenging the current state of government officials in
Kenya. It is questioning, and rightly accusing MPs of atrocities they have
committed. Not only the visual piece but also the placement of the last mural
on Koinange Street, in view of Parliament members driving to work. It was a
direct rebellion against their authority, questioning their actions and calling
the politicians outright liars. It also depicted them and their families as
thieves, and scavenger birds feeding off of their citizens.
One artists, Shan, claimed, “I’m a
radical person, don’t want to be constrained by societies perception of art,”
graffiti is fundamental in relating with the youth culture, through hip-hop,
self-identity, and rebellion. The Vulture movement not only reaches a wide
audience, but it connects with its youth audience, a majority of the
population. The first step in creating a positive change in Kenya.
International
Social and Political Graffiti
As
Nairobi is undergoing its own social and political transformation, there are
multiple instances throughout history where graffiti had a lasting impact. A
few examples are: The Berlin Wall, Beirut, Lebanon, and the international
graffiti artist Banksy.
The
Berlin Wall was the largest graffiti piece ever created. It represented the
freedom of West Germany, over the bare block securing in the East. Artists used
the wall to create, “an area of transit rather than of separation, at least
symbolically,” by illusions of breaks, windows or doors opening up to the world
hidden behind the wall (Neef 427). Artists used graffiti in protest of the wall
being built. A graffiti competition inviting artists from all over the world
called ‘Uber windung der Mauer durch
Bemalung der Maur’ (‘Overcoming the Wall by Painting the Wall’), where the
graffiti artists literally made the wall an area of transit (Neef 429).
The
art that evolved on the ominous wall became internationally famous. People from
around the world were going to the Western side of the wall to add their own
piece, or to see the wall in its glory. The East could potentially become one
of the wealthiest art dealers in the world. However, this would, “imply
breaking down the Wall,” (Neef 429). East Germany was struggling financially,
and technically owned this massive art structure. The graffiti art works in
part, gave the Eastern side economic incentive to take down the Wall, and sell
it in the international market. The graffiti not only represented the vast
differences between the East and West sides of the wall, but it had a part to
play in the deconstruction of the Wall.
Rasha
Salti writes about the post-civil war in Lebanon and how in the capital of
Beirut the people reclaimed the public sphere through the use of street art. At
this point in time the Berlin Wall had been demolished, and preserved for the
art produced on the Western side. Today you can see pieces of the wall in
various parts of the world, including Washngton DC’s Newseum. The walls of
Beirut were “erased” or washed over, symbolizing a new beginning for the
country. Salti writes, “an anonymous individual had reclaimed space for her- or
himself to express personal grief, on walls that were exclusive domain for
political parlance, bellicose sloganeering and territorial markings,” (617).
The walls were physical, and visual evidence that the militia no longer had
control. This was revolutionary. The people of Lebanon were taking a stand and
reclaiming what was theirs. Prior to the end of the civil war, individuals had
no place in the public sphere; politicians and militia littered then the walls.
In
times of conflict, graffiti increases, and usually displays who is in control.
Having personal inscriptions on the wall let the people show that they are now
in control. The public sphere is again, public, belonging to the masses. Not
only are the personal inscriptions on the wall reclamation of public space, but
also often serve as expressions of outright defiance, undermining authority of
whichever political group had originally claimed that space. The people were
asserting dominance. When elections were held, politicians again dominated the
sphere of public space with graffiti, and posters. However, this time, the
people were involved as well, as “artists, commentators and comedians,”
responded to the political campaigning, as they hadn’t been able to before;
their civil liberties were no longer suppressed (Salti 622).
Before
forms of expression were deemed for the privileged. However, a local student at
the academy of fine arts of the Lebanese University decided to take graffiti to
transform the walls of the University. The student used graffiti to keep
culture alive where it was usually suppressed. He visually, “reclaimed,” the
campus (622). Graffiti “rehabilitated stone walls of downtown Beirut’s
buildings,” they are full of dialogic inscriptions, slogans, and insults (626).
Salti expresses her relief that society is reclaiming the city’s wall, and
relieves, “maybe the war is really over,” (627).
A
third example lies with Banksy, an internationally known graffiti artist who is
possibly the most well known practitioner of his craft in the world. While
artists in Lebanon showed how graffiti can be used for the reclamation of
public space, and began using the city’s wall for dialogue, Banksy is known for
purposefully creating pieces to stimulate political dialogue in social issues.
Although Banksy remains completely anonymous, and is assumed to be from London,
UK, he uses his stencil graffiti in cities all over the world to incite
discussion and change. Bansky’s work is primarily to create public engagement
in usually taboo social issues.
One
of his pieces that was especially thought-provoking was a stencil image of two
male Police Officers kissing. This piece confronts issues of homosexuality,
homophobia, and authority. It’s symbolic in the figures of authority are
engaging in an act seen as socially unacceptable in many parts of the world.
The audience engaging with this piece has no choice but to confront the
information presented (Chung 30). Banksy has excited populations around the
world, discussing and arguing over his controversial art pieces.
Another
well-known graffiti stenciling is titled, ‘Sweeping
It Under the Carpet,’ where Banksy depicts a maid doing her job. This piece
was to give a voice to the marginalized. In a world where portraits and
professional photographs are reserved for the wealthy this portrait gives a
generally marginalized population a chance to be seen, to be heard. Banksy’s
street art opens doors to discuss, “social and political issues and to reflect
upon the immediate, if not unjust, world in which [you] live,” to transform,
engage, and instigate change.
As
Banksy incites social and political discussion with his artworks, so do local
graffiti artists here in Nairobi. Before the ‘Vulture’ Movement began, there
were instances of graffiti making change within the city of Nairobi. Solo7
during the post-election violence of 2008 used his knowledge of the Kibera slum
and covered every home, rock, hotel, petrol station and kiosk he could with his
signs promoting peace for social change. Using visual messages on the walls to
remind people to ‘Keep Peace.’
Another
local graffiti artist, Shan who worked with graffiti artists Bankslave and
Duez, used graffiti to promote social education. They use graffiti’s resonance
with the youth culture, as well as the visual attention that street art
attracts, to get their message across to as many people as possible to “first
inform and get attention, second spark debate and conversation, and third to
beautify,” (Shan). To beautify an area makes its inhabitants proud, proud to live
in a slum neighborhood. Shan with two other graffiti writers did a piece in the
Kibera slum after the post-election violence in a new dump site; “it caught attention, we sparked
something in them,” said the team of graffiti writers about how their creation
had caused a reaction. The neighborhood stopped using the area as a dumpsite
and opened a car wash; the beautification of the area had prompted the creation
of something new and productive in place of the dumpsite, serving as a
testament to the power of graffiti.
The
city market vulture graffiti as well as the zebra crossing vulture stencils
were used to get widespread attention, as the youth, news, and social media
spread word of them. The second piece on Kenyatta Avenue called back to Kenya’s
history; the one-party system (“Nyayo era”) terminated in 2002 by Kenyan
voters. The Kenyatta piece is calling Kenyans to repeat history and kick out
the corrupt leaders from their positions. The call for a Ballot Revolution is
happening, and the Vulture Graffiti is the way to get society to listen, not
only is it visible to the public, it calls for action as well. The last Vulture
piece was painted in town on a public toilet, and it asked, “Middle class
Kenyans get off Twitter and Facebook and do something positive.” Graffiti has
created change in the past, both internationally and locally, and in Nairobi it
is now calling for action.
Provocative
Graffiti in Nairobi
Not
only has the Vulture graffiti caught the attention of a wide youth based
audience, it has proven to cause change, it is provocative as well. Graffiti is
illegal but so is, “depositing any type of waste on the streets, failure to
observe traffic lights or zebra crossings, and making any kind of noise on the
streets,” according to the City Council of Nairobi’s bylaws. Nairobi is a city,
and a loud one. Matatus take over the streets, failing to follow any sort of
street protocol, and pedestrian traffic is so heavy zebra crossings are used at
one’s convenience and risk. The population deems Nairobi City Council bylaws as
“guidelines”, at best.
Graffiti
is painted openly in daylight in slum neighborhoods like Kibera and Eastlands.
The law was not a concerned with most graffiti artists until recently. Once the
Vulture pieces gained the media’s attention, as well as Parliament’s attention
there was a sudden crackdown to identify and arrest graffiti artists and
taggers across the city. The graffiti pieces were meant to incite this
attention, even if unwanted. The artists wanted them to be provocative. Even though
it was illegal, Boniface Mwangi hired police officers for security as they
constructed the pieces. The irony is unmistakable.
The
City Market, and Kenyatta Avenue pieces were actually left untouched until the
piece on Koinange Street near Parliament was completed. That was taken down
almost immediately. Now that the government became involved, they no longer
could avoid it and this incited the people’s interest.
Before
the Vulture movement graffiti it was mostly unknown or not understood by Nairobi’s
population. Many artists would claim their spray cans were insect repellent if
questioned. Artists have actually run into city council while spraying
graffiti, however city council members had no idea what the artists were doing
or the fact that it was illegal. They generally let the artists continue
painting.
Historically,
graffiti in Nairobi is less than 15 years old, and only gained popularity in
the last six years. This new form of protest encapsulated people’s attention.
This new art form has the capacity to create a revolution, a ballot revolution.
Graffiti artists Esen asserted that graffiti, “it’s exciting, it’s popular,”
it’s something fairly new to Kenyans, and they want more. All of the Vulture
pieces stood out. Aesthetically the pieces are pleasing, and they speak the
beliefs of Nairobi’s populous, “Graffiti attracts everyone,” asserted
Bankslave, one of the most famous graffiti artists currently in Nairobi. Artist
Joel Kirambo explains, “Beauty draws attention,” those graffiti pieces used art
as a form of communication, through aesthetics. Posh (a female graffiti artist)
adds, “Graffiti is a beautification of a wall and it has a message, it’s the
full package.”
Bright
colors, and creative design, the novelty of graffiti in Nairobi has quickly
captured the people’s attention. And Uhuru states:
Graffiti
has a global approach, it involved a lot of skill and IQ, people/artists are
able to translate a lot of information into one piece. They are able to think
of ‘the now’ by incorporating the arts… it’s like having an upgraded art
revolution… graffiti says more, and it’s quite effective.
Uhuru
explains that graffiti is large scale, it’s hip, and it is strong. Graffiti
artists are able to convey a whole timeline of events, including present day social
and political issues and call for a change. People seem to be listening.
Conclusion:
Graffiti is Change for Nairobi’s Future
Graffiti’s
identity is still forming in Nairobi, and it has a long way to go. However,
graffiti is constantly evolving and change is happening. This Vulture movement
calling for a Ballot Revolution is exactly what Nairobi needs to move forward,
and away from the corrupt politicians they have repeatedly voted into office.
Historically graffiti has been known to create change, with the Berlin Wall,
Beirut, Lebanon, and internationally with Banksy’s political and social
commentaries. Graffiti hits a wide audience in Nairobi because of its
visibility, and the proliferation of information due to the media and
technology. In addition, graffiti resonates well and has strong associations
and ties with the youth, who are a majority of Kenya’s population and the
deciding factor for the upcoming elections. Graffiti got attention, and calls
for change because it is also provocative. Its illegality, novelty and
aesthetically pleasing qualities draw in those who see it.
Art
does matter. Street art does matter. Graffiti does matter. Because of their
novelty Graffiti pieces have more impact than billboards or other
advertisements. They are unique. Every individual has a role in his or her
community, and it is graffiti artists’ time to play a role. It will be
interesting to see how important that role will be.
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/index.html>.
Appendix A: Photos
*All Photo are my own (Katty Hargrave-Kerns), unless otherwise noted.
Figure 1:
‘Bankslave’ Tag. Jericho, Nairobi.
Figure 2: 3D
Style , throwup. ‘Esen’ Jericho, Nairobi.
Figure 3: 2D
Style, Anonymous. Jericho, Nairobi
Figure 4:
Wildstyle, Anonymous, Google Images
Figure 5:
Semi-Wildstyle, ‘Phiks.’ Jericho, Nairobi.
Figure 6: Matatu
Graffiti. 2012. Downtown Nairobi.
Figure 7:
Commissioned Piece. Various Artists. 2008. Mathare Slum, Nairobi. Google Images
Figure 8: Keep
Peace. Solo7, 2008, Kibera, Nairobi. Google Images
Figure 9: ODM
political party. Jericho, Nairobi.
Figure 10:
Political Slogan. 2012. Jericho, Naiorbi.
Figure 11: City
Market Vulture Graffiti. March, 2012. Nairobi. Unknown Source
Figure 12: Zebra
crossings Vulture Graffiti. March, 2012. Various Streets, Nairobi.
Figure 13:
Kenyatta Avenue Vulture Graffiti. March 2012. Nairobi. Andre Epstein, Google Images
Figure 14:
Koinange Street Vulture Graffiti, public restroom. March 2012. Nairobi. Andre Epstein, Google Images
Appendix B:
Focus Group Questions
1.
When
you think of art what do you think of?
2.
What
makes something art?
3.
Do
you think graffiti is art? Why or why not?
4.
Show
Slides: Is this art?
a.
Wall
tagged in Eastlands
b.
Tags,
bus stop (Europe)
c.
‘Bankslave’
Throwup, Kibera
d.
‘Solo7’
Peace Wanted, Kibera
e.
‘Smoki’
Throwup, Eastlands
f.
Mathare
piece, commissioned
5.
What
is the different between art and vandalism?
6.
Have
you seen any graffiti around Nairobi? If yes, Where?
7.
Do
you know any graffiti artists?
8.
What
do you think of graffiti when you see it?
9.
Do
you think there is a message within the art (apply to each slide, a-f)
10. Is graffiti a good way to send a message?
Why or why not?
11. Why use graffiti to spread a message?
12. What do you think graffiti around
neighborhoods? Does it enhance the area with the public art, or make it look
dirty and neglected?
13. Would you want it covering the walls in
your neighborhood?
Appendix C:
Compilation of Interview Questions
1.
Do
you consider yourself an artist?
2.
Is
there a message or meaning in your art?
3.
Are
you expressing yourself through your art?
4.
What
other (graffiti) artists do you know of? Do you associate with any?
5.
What
is your favorite piece of graffiti? Why?
6.
Do
your family & friends know you are an (graffiti) artist? If yes, what do
they think of you as an artist?
7.
How
do you define being an artist?
8.
Do
you consider graffiti art? Why or why not?
9.
What
does (or doesn’t) make something art?
10. When did you first start doing (graffiti)
art?
11. Did you work your way up the art world?
12. How do you feel about the graffiti around
the streets?
13. Why do you think graffiti is associated
with the youth population mostly?
14. Do you consider your work public art?
15. Do you do your art for yourself, or other
people?
16. What does your art mean to you?
17. Are you spreading messages with your
work?
a.
What
are they?
b.
Are
they politically, emotionally, or socially charged?
c.
Why
use graffiti to spread your message?
d.
Is
it a positive message?
e.
Who
receives your message, who understands it?
18. Is your art just for the graffiti
community, or is it public? Why or why not?
19. What is the line between vandalism and
graffiti art?
20. What messages does graffiti get across
when used for a political campaign?
a.
Eg.
Uhuru stencils, Waititu 4 Governor, etc.
b.
Discuss
21. Will graffiti rise with the election
coming up?
22. Have you ever run into any trouble with
the law?
23. How did you choose your “tag” name?
24. What reaction are you looking for from
your works?
25. Does art matter?
a.
Does
graffiti matter?
26. What are the messages in graffiti meant
to invoke?
a.
Action?
Discussion? Education? What?
27. What happens after the graffiti is done?
28. The Vulture Graffiti
a.
Discuss
Appendix D:
al-Wujuh al-Bayda, ‘The White Faces’
‘Why do you paint the walls with white lime?’
He looked at me and told me he was going to come.
‘Listen, he will come, things will come, death will come.’
He clutched his navy-blue coat around his thin body, and lowered his
head. ‘The things that will come, you don’t know, no one knows, but these
walls, we have to erase everything, everything has to become white again.
Everything.’
He pulled out a small eraser from the pocket of his coat.
‘Look at this, they will give me a big eraser.’
He stretched his palm open. ‘As big as this.’
‘And who will give you this eraser?’
‘They will, you don’t know, none of you knows, a big eraser, it does not
erase what written on the walls, it erases everything, when I place it on the
wall like this, the wall will disappear, without falling apart, without noise,
without a sound, or dust, or rubble or stones. I place it on the wall and the
wall will disappear by itself, disappear, I will disappear, and the city will
disappear, images will disappear, everything will disappear and become white,
white like the white of eggs, like the white of eyes, like whiteness itself.
Everything wiped, everything will collapse, without a trace of having
collapsed. Like officers. I was an officer once, but I quit, I was a great
officer, surely you must have heard about my achievements, how I used to kill.
And today I carry the eraser, look, you can’t see clearly, your eyes cannot see
clearly, but I can see, I can see everything,’
–Elias Khoury,
(Salti 615)
