Vivacious street art at Nairobi

 

 

Thufu Bebeto Nairobi art

‘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

‘Turtle VI’ –Msale_Acrylics on canvas – Chini ya Maji series

 

 

Turkana girl character by @Thufu_B - Nairobi

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 East Afrika’s graffiti wall of fame, longest graffiti wall in East and Central Afrika

Still Pushing on Nairobi’s graffiti wall of fame, longest graffiti wall in East and Central Afrika

 

 

Thufu-Bebeto--Protoge acrylic on canvas

Thufu B — Protoge

 

 

Script adapted from the poem 'African Woman' by @dadatru

Script adapted from the poem ‘African Woman’ by @dadatru – BSQcrew

 

 

Part-of-commissioned-mural-we-did-for-British-American-Tobacco-Kenya-(BAT)

Part of a commissioned mural for Kenya (BAT)

BSQ Crew

 

 

Nairobi wallart - Outdeh-#grafikali-#streeartnairobi

Nairobi wall mural – Outdeh – Msale #grafikali #streeartnairobi

 

Wall art-collaborations-ever.-By @swift9graffiti @nyeks08 @bsq_crew @msale_ @kaymist4 @thufu_b

Wall art collaboration By @swift9graffiti @nyeks08 @bsq_crew @msale_ @kaymist4 @thufu_b

Nairobi

 

Kitengela Glass Factory -- Nairobi

Kitengela Glass Factory — Nairobi

 

 

Nairobi Wall art mural

Nairobi Wall art mural

BSQ crew

 

 

WiseTwo, Spiritual Ego, Paris solo show.

Kenyan artist WiseTwo, ‘Spiritual Ego’, Paris solo show

 

 

Nairobi, Kenya -Wall art

Nairobi, Kenya – Wall art

 

 

Nairobi street skaters

Nairobi street skaters

 

Wall art - Two Hyenas-Kenya

Wall art – ‘Two Hyenas’, Kenya

 

 

Ronnie Ogwang painting

Ronnie Ogwang canvas, Kenya

 

Kenyan photography -- Queen Majik

photo – Queen Majik

 

 

Afro Future Madigaga---Acrylics on Canvas -- Kaymist4

‘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)

Nairobi, Kenya 2013—‘Kabila Langu Ni Mkenya’ (My Tribe is Kenya)

 

 

Grycelle wearing Kenyan head piece

Miss Owira @shyolympia, background Msale

 

 

The Pyramid of Four Kings - 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 outdoor calligraphic pyramid

 

 

M Sale Kenyan graffiti art

M Sale canvas

 

 

 

Bottletop figure sculpture by Cyrus Kabiru

Bottletop figure sculpture by Cyrus Kabiru

 

 

Monke k6a in Nairobi,-Kenya, 2018

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

‘Impala lilies ‘—-acrylic and spray on paper—-Thufu B

 

 

Mural of Nairobi activity on street

Mural of Nairobi street activity

 

 

IRIS---SYNERGY-#grafikali

Iris synergy   #grafikali

 

 

Nairobi street mural Thufi B

Nairobi street mural Thufi B

 

WiseTwo ,- Memorize the Sun,-Paris solo show

WiseTwo , ‘Memorize the Sun’, Paris solo show

 

 

Peace Train/studio BSQ crew, Railway Museum

 

 

BSQ crew

Gray scale bonge la

 

 

Graffiti mural-@-Uhuru Gardens,Nairobi by @bsq_crew

Graffiti mural @Uhuru Gardens,Nairobi by @bsq_crew

 

 

Thufu-Bebeto-painting

Thufu Bebeto painting

 

 

Gate graffiti by @thufu_b

Gate graffiti by @thufu_b

 

 

Thufu B graffiti mural

Thufu B graffiti mural

 

 

Thufu-Bebeto--Kenyan---artist

Thufu Bebeto

 

 

Galactic Meditation-Thufu Bebeto

‘Galactic Meditation’ – Thufu Bebeto

 

 

BSQ-crew-mural-Nairobi

BSQ crew wall art, Nairobi

 

 

Msale_--Healing the hood one mural at a time with @swift9graffiti @nyeks08 @thufu_b #grafikali

Msale_– Healing the hood one mural at a time with @swift9graffiti @nyeks08 @thufu_b #grafikali

 

 

Msale calligraphic wall art on canvas

Msale calligraphic wall art on canvas, Kenya

 

 

Thufu B graffiti wall art

Thufu B wall art

 

 

did this uncle Moogy an Aboriginal elder at the joinery Adelaide with @elizabethclosearts during the Sanaa festival 2018, still one of my favorite pieces. #bsqcrew

Mural of  Uncle Moogy, an Aboriginal elder at the joinery Adelaide with @elizabethclosearts during the Sanaa festival 2018 by #bsqcrew

 

 

Thufu-Beneto-canvas-painting

Thufu Beneto canvas painting

 

Msale #Sankara mural. Part of seshen with @bsq_crew ..Paying homage to AfriKan Kings.

 

 

Chini ya Maji’ whale mural

Chini ya Maji’ whale mural, Nairobi

 

 

Natural-progression'-Msale_acrylic-on-canvas

‘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

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

AFRICArt body paint project — photo Caleb Okumu

 

 

NairobiBSQ-wall-art-wall-mural

Nairobi BSQ crew wall art

 

AFRICArt body paint project--photo Caleb Okumu

AFRICArt body paint project– Msale body painting

photo Caleb Okumu

 

 

Bro-Mindfree--BSQ-Art

Bro Mindfree  —  BSQ Art

 

 

Black-Twilight-2-Papa-Shot-

Black Twilight 2 Papa Shot

 

 

 

bsq_crewAfro future purple empress, by @kaymist4 piece on recycled metallic piece,

‘Afro future purple empress’, by @kaymist4 piece on recycled metallic piece, bsq_crew

 

 

 

Nairobi-Street-Art

Nairobi Street Art

 

 

@clint_malik-and-@Moh-Mckenzie

@clint_malik and @Moh Mckenzie

 

#grafikali-body-art-in-play-in-collabo-with-@warembowasanii6-for-their-fashion-show

Nairobi fashion show

 

Brian Musasia aka ‘Msale’  – BSQ Art

 

 

@dennis muraguri---Lamborghini

@dennis muraguri—Lamborghini

 

 

 

1 Comment

  1. Catherine
    Posted March 12, 2019 at 6:25 am | Permalink

    It is so good to see that street art is alive in so many countries. “la rue est à nous” “the street is our” is an old French motto and it has always been a way to say, you want me locked in my house, under survey, afraid to go out, glued to my tv or now my computer, not even knowing who my neighbors are ? I am in the street because the street is mine and I have somethings to say and to share and so has street art and this is why I love it. I hope people are not to fed up with our strikes and our manifestations and even riots in the streets when they come to visit our country because even manifestations come from the same idea. We do not grow indoors we grow outdoors like the grass, the trees, street art and … cats ! Of course ! the masters of the art of living !

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