Cyrus Kabiru, Njia Ya Maisha, Macho Nne: Brazilian Mask ,2015, printed 2016
Provenance :
Exhibited : The Armory Show, New York, SMAC Gallery, (Booth 630, Pier 94), 3 to 6 March 2016, another example from the edition exhibited.
Literature :
Notes : number 4, from an edition of 5 + 2AP Cyrus Kabiru was recently selected for the Apollo 40 Under 40 Africa list of the continent’s most influential rising artists, thinkers, patrons and advocates. This striking work forms part of Kabiru’s Njia Ya Maisha series which was created for his 2016 solo presentation at the Armory Show in New York. Swahili for “way(s) of life”, the Njia Ya Maisha C-Stunner range of intricate eyewear made from found materials, chronicles the dynamic flows of commodity culture: both the artefacts and brands, and their shifting symbolic value. In Macho Nne: Brazilian Mask, repurposed MacCoffee packaging is turned into a spectacular facial ornament. Here Kabiru enacts an alter ego when wearing the glasses for the self-portrait. Macho Nne means ‘four eyes’ in Swahili and is the title Kabiru assigns to his photographs, alluding to the transformation that occurs once he puts on the C-Stunner. MVZ
Condition_report : The overall condition is excellent. Colours are vibrant and stable. Framed by ORMS – no glazing.
