When it comes to the work of Kenyan artist Shitanda (Instagram), one cannot help but be intrigued by its unpredictability. Shitanda’s creations, blending experimental textures, vibrant colours, and dynamic light and shadow play, seamlessly merge the mundane with the surreal. His art explores the interplay between presence and absence, evoking a soft, elusive nostalgia that connects distant memories with the present. Through grainy textures and a painterly quality, he challenges conventional rhythms of life, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality with an unconstrained perspective. Each image from Shitanda invites viewers into a dreamlike realm where beauty and complexity intertwine in “inexplicable” ways.
What’s your earliest memory of a camera, and how did you get into photography?
My earliest memory would be of my dad’s old film cameras, which really charmed me as a kid. Engaging with past moments through photo albums at that present time was quite thrilling, and my interest slowly picked up from there.
What inspired you to challenge preconceived notions of life’s rhythm in your artworks, and how do you convey this through your visual style?
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that life isn’t as linear or predictable as we often think. There’s a rhythm to life, but it’s filled with pauses, unexpected beats, and even dissonance,a blend of chaos and order, spontaneity and structure.
Most of my works are centred around contrasts and dualities aimed at inviting viewers to see the familiar in an unfamiliar way, calling to mind a sense of curiosity and reflection, encouraging people to question various preconceived notions and to explore the beauty in the unexpected.
How do you select your subjects and materials, and what significance do they hold in representing Kenyan culture and lifestyle?
With my subjects, I lean mostly towards themes that resonate with me on a personal level, be it physically, emotionally, or sometimes just out of visual appeal. I’m drawn to subjects that can convey a story, evoke a particular mood, or capture a moment of raw emotion. It could be something as simple as the way light falls on a subject or the expression in someone’s eyes that inspires me to explore the idea further.
I often pick materials based on how they can best present the narrative or emotion I’m trying to express, mostly experimenting with different mediums.Whether it’s the texture of a particular paper, the depth of colour in a certain paint, or the tactile quality of mixed media elements.
Can you elaborate on your technique of creating granular detailing that gives your photographs a painterly texture?
I have a deep appreciation for old things and the way time leaves a mark on different materials. I’m fascinated by the weathering andwear, how surfaces crack, fade, and accumulate layers from passing seasons. I love to bring that tactile quality to my works, whether digitally or by physically distressing photographic prints, paintings, textiles and other materials. It’s kind of my way of honouring the beauty in imperfection and the narratives that people and objects carry as they go through life.
Your work evokes a sense of soft, allusive nostalgia for the unknown. What personal experiences or memories influence this recurring theme in your art?
Finding beauty in the transient nature of life.
I’d say It’s more of a yearning for something that feels so close but so out of reach, a bittersweet mix of memory and imagination. Most of the imagery feels like fleeting memories, with delicate but distressed compositions to create a sense of intimacy and ambiguity. My subjects often appear as if they are caught between worlds—familiar yet distant, present yet fading. Like a mirror of our own human experiences, living in a universe so vast, knowing so much, but also nothing at all.
What colours do you find yourself most drawn to when it comes to your art? Why?
I currently find myself most drawn to the colour red for its versatility in representing a range of emotions and its embodiment of contrasting themes that make it able to convey both pleasantly profound and unsettling or grotesque aspects of life.
How does the interplay of light and shadow in your work contribute to the narrative and emotional impact of your pieces?
For me, these two elements create a compelling visual tension centred around the concepts of presence and absence.
Light represents the “known”, controlling the emotional tone of a piece, depending on its quality and intensity. Shadows, on the other hand, add contrast, depth and sometimes obscure details, creating a sense of ambiguity or foreboding, inviting viewers to look closer and interpret the piece from an “unknown” point of view.
Shitanda, if you could step into one of your artworks, which would it be?
I think I take a little step into most of them while or prior to creating.
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