Martin Jakaila is a Kenyan artist born in 1988 and based in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2014, He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nairobi.
After a mentorship opportunity at Dust Depo, an artist studio at the Railway Museum in Nairobi, Jakaila transitioned from engineering to art.
His work explores portraiture and figurative styles of expression. He draws his inspiration and subjects from daily life and his environment. Using numerous layers and coats of acrylic paint on canvas, he captures reality, vulnerability, and emotional upheavals in his subjects who are mostly his friends.