Mwili, Akili na Roho (body, mind and spirit) is a major international exhibition that ran at the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute in Nairobi Kenya from 27th of October 2022 to 18th of February, 2023. The exhibition presents works by 10 East African painters that form part of the wide spectrum of figurative paintings from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. These artists have played a vital role in the growth of the contemporary art movement of the region. The exhibition was poised to encourage critical engagement with the history of painting in East Africa.
The group of artists whose works are featured in the exhibition work with varying themes and come from different generations and backgrounds. These artists collectively represent the evolution of East Africa art and have been critiquing western stereotypes and pushing past the limits for decades despite their differences. A ground breaking aspect to this exhibition is the longing to recover pre-colonial modes of experience. One major aim of Mwili, Akili na Roho (Mind, Body and Spirit) is to cultivate a deeper engagement with the history of art in East Africa and also explore the influence of certain ideas and institutions in its development. The exhibition grapples with subjects of politics and society, faith and religion, the natural and the supernatural, the body and sexuality.
The group of artists whose works are featured in the exhibition include: Sam Joseph Ntiro, Elimo Njau, Asaph Ng’ethe Macua, Jak Katarikawe, Theresa Musoke, Peter Mulindwa, Sane Wadu, John Njenga, Chelenge van Rampelberg and Meek Gichugu.
Initially conceived by artist and NCAI founder, Micheal Armitage, the first presentation of the “Mwili, Akili na Roho” was at Haus der Kunst, Munich in 2020. In 2021, it was part of Michael Armitage’s Paradise Edict at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. This third edition of the exhibition was even more expansive compared to the first two, as it features additional works from the collection of the Weltkulturen Museum, Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts, private collections in Kenya, the UK, Japan, and works on loan directly from the artists. The exhibition will be publishing a zine which will contain archival material about the artists in the exhibition as well as a fully illustrated catalogue that features the contributions of Professor George Kyeyune of Makerere University, Lutivini Majanja, and Asaph Macua Ng’ethe.
