‘Xhosa Brother’ —acrylic on canvas – Thufu Bebeto
The proliferation of many new art distribution spaces in Nairobi, especially the flourishing art-centres and collectives, allowed a liberation from purely commercial motives and extended the aesthetic freedom offered to artists and their practice. Also in the city’s informal settlements, or ‘slums’, the establishment of art centres played a vital roles in creating an understanding among the local populace of the value of art. Internet exposure also enhanced this awareness and numerous possibilities emerged to participate on a global scale.
The BSQ crew is a street art group hailing from the city streets of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, consisting of members with a passion and love for art, specifically mural work and graffiti. They possess an inspired, energetic and creative drive to beautify the empty walls, and this has motivated them to push their edgy, poignant street murals further around Kenya and beyond to other international exhibitions. Bebeto ‘Thufu’ Ochieng, Kenneth ‘Kay’ Otieno and Brian Msale are the nucleus of this dynamic outfit who also actively seek out collaborative opportunities with other local crews and artists. They have made a very positive contribution to the expanding range of contemporary visual art and art practices found in Nairobi today.
‘Turtle VI’ –Msale_Acrylics on canvas – Chini ya Maji series
Turkana girl character by @Thufu_B – Nairobi
Thufu_B is participating in the 2019 SAANA Festvial in Adelaide, Feb 4 to March 15
He is also part of the growing collective of East African street artists using graffiti artwork to foster peace, tolerance, and social cohesion. Historically, a symbol of rebellion or resistance, street art hasn’t always been welcome or appreciated. This sentiment however is changing across East Africa, and along with other artists who have previously been involved in the Sanaa project such as Bankslave, Swift9, Kaymist, Wise Two and Smokillah; Thufu B and his counterparts are leading this charge.
Still Pushing on Nairobi’s graffiti wall of fame, longest graffiti wall in East and Central Afrika
Thufu B — Protoge
Script adapted from the poem ‘African Woman’ by @dadatru – BSQcrew
Part of a commissioned mural for Kenya (BAT)
BSQ Crew
Nairobi wall mural – Outdeh – Msale #grafikali #streeartnairobi
Wall art collaboration By @swift9graffiti @nyeks08 @bsq_crew @msale_ @kaymist4 @thufu_b
Nairobi
Kitengela Glass Factory — Nairobi
Nairobi Wall art mural
BSQ crew
Kenyan artist WiseTwo, ‘Spiritual Ego’, Paris solo show
Nairobi, Kenya – Wall art
Nairobi street skaters
Wall art – ‘Two Hyenas’, Kenya
Ronnie Ogwang canvas, Kenya
photo – Queen Majik
‘Afro Future Madigaga’—Acrylics on Canvas — Kaymist4
Kenneth Otieno, popularly known as Kaymist4, attributes his passion for the arts as having had a positive impact in his life. Hailing from Siaya County in Kenya, he is a founding member of the Graffiti Crew BSQ.
Nairobi, Kenya 2013—‘Kabila Langu Ni Mkenya’ (My Tribe is Kenya)
Miss Owira @shyolympia, background Msale
‘The Pyramid of Four Kings’ – Msale, BSQ Crew
Msale specializes in graffiti with a specific style called ‘grafikali’, which combines acrylics, oil, charcoal, graphite & ink media. His fellow crew members refer to him as being ‘highly experimental’ as he constantly challenges himself to push art boundaries. In this constant quest of seeking new ways of artistic expression, Msale fused his love for the calligraphic style of writing and graffiti painting.
M Sale outdoor calligraphic pyramid
M Sale canvas
Bottletop figure sculpture by Cyrus Kabiru
Monke k6a in Nairobi, Kenya, 2018
Thufu Bebeto
“Female poses are more fluid, more loving. They inspire the best out of my creativity” – Thufu B
Bebeto Ochieng, better known as Thufu-B is a master of lines. Graffiti circles have fondly dubbed him the “Lines man”. Thufu-B is one of the founding members of BSQ crew, a street art group based in Kenya’s Capital, Nairobi. He is a mentee of renown artists; Patrick Mukabi & Uhuru Brown and has closely worked with the two. His work focuses mainly on African females. Notably, portraits with African patterns and flora in the background finishing with lines to highlight their faces.
‘Impala lilies ‘—-acrylic and spray on paper—-Thufu B
Mural of Nairobi street activity
Iris synergy #grafikali
Nairobi street mural Thufi B
WiseTwo , ‘Memorize the Sun’, Paris solo show
Peace Train/studio BSQ crew, Railway Museum
Gray scale bonge la
Graffiti mural @Uhuru Gardens,Nairobi by @bsq_crew
Thufu Bebeto painting
Gate graffiti by @thufu_b
Thufu B graffiti mural
Thufu Bebeto
‘Galactic Meditation’ – Thufu Bebeto
BSQ crew wall art, Nairobi
Msale_– Healing the hood one mural at a time with @swift9graffiti @nyeks08 @thufu_b #grafikali
Msale calligraphic wall art on canvas, Kenya
Thufu B wall art
Mural of Uncle Moogy, an Aboriginal elder at the joinery Adelaide with @elizabethclosearts during the Sanaa festival 2018 by #bsqcrew
Thufu Beneto canvas painting
Msale #Sankara mural. Part of seshen with @bsq_crew ..Paying homage to AfriKan Kings.
Chini ya Maji’ whale mural, Nairobi
‘Natural-progression’-Msaleh_acrylic-on-canvas
Brian Musasia, also known as Msale prides himself in his signature abstract Afro patterns that are now easily distinct in wall murals done by BSQ Crew. The crew (BSQ) is a street art group based in Kenya’s Capital, Nairobi and physically based at the Dust Depo Art Studio (Railways Museum). A graduate of Fine Art and Design from Kenyatta University, Msale’s love for art did not start in campus. He began drawing and painting at a very young age and credits his mother, a pre-school teacher, for fostering his creative interests.
Thufu B wall art
A #grafikali collabo with @thufu_b and @kaymist4 inna @bsq_crew studios as captured by @nd3ritu
AFRICArt body paint project — photo Caleb Okumu
Nairobi BSQ crew wall art
AFRICArt body paint project– Msale body painting
photo Caleb Okumu
Bro Mindfree — BSQ Art
Black Twilight 2 Papa Shot
‘Afro future purple empress’, by @kaymist4 piece on recycled metallic piece, bsq_crew
Nairobi Street Art
@clint_malik and @Moh Mckenzie
Nairobi fashion show
Brian Musasia aka ‘Msale’ – BSQ Art
@dennis muraguri—Lamborghini
