Rangi (Colors) Gallery TZ, is set to open the 4th Wise Man exhibition on the 28th of August, 2025. The exhibition features three artists from Mukuru Art Collective, including its founder, Adam Masava. Exploring the intersections of space in the East African contemporary landscape, the show celebrates the mundane moments that drench contemporary urban centers. The exhibition aims to highlight the contemporary similarities between the two bordering countries. It positions Rangi Gallery as a refuge for artists, children, and the broader community of East Africa.
Adam Masava grew up in the slums of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, and he has made it his mission to document and archive the lives of individuals living there. Nairobi comprises over 60% slum settlements, yet these occupy only about 6% of the total land mass. This stark contrast reflects a neglect in urban planning and reveals the complete disparity between families and individuals living just a short distance apart. To capture this reality, Adam uses corrugated iron sheets as his background. His paintings capture everyday tasks from fetching water to moving charcoal, bananas, and other goods through motorcycles and other affordable transport. By using spatial awareness as a key factor, Adam’s work places Mukuru and the larger Nairobi slum areas in full view. He illuminates lives that often remain unseen, existing only as backdrops for the city at large.
Meanwhile, Kelvin Nzioka brings these works into sharper focus through his futuristic figurative figures. His practice has undergone a complete evolution. Kelvin’s work has shifted from precise lines and abstract figures to vast, interconnected realities that mirror shared human experience. Drawing on traditional East African techniques of dots, clear lines, and defined features, he explores the plane where all lives intersect. He also works with photo collages, extending his practice into contemporary figurative techniques.
Stephen’s work, on the other hand, has always been rooted in children. His paintings capture moments of play, cheekiness, vulnerability, friendship, and school life that shape the formative years of children and adults. His works turn their gaze back on the viewer, attempting to illuminate the audience’s lightness. Using light wood, Stephen restores individuality to the subjects, capturing the unending energy of childhood rooted in everyday life.
The 4th Horseman serves as a proclamation of arrival. With its otherworldly and confrontational approach, the exhibition seeks to spark cross-cultural dialogue between Tanzania and Kenya. In doing so, it examines both the similarities and differences that shape the contemporary East African landscape.
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