Taabu Munyoki, b. 1995, is a Kenyan contemporary artist whose paintings combine a range of media including image transfer, screen printing, oil pastels and acrylic depending on the idea or subject matter. Working generally on canvas, Taabu merges these means of expression to create compositions characterized by grids, layered scenes, portraits and figures, mostly drawn from her everyday life. Torn in between the past and present personal experiences, she investigates human interactions and their relationships to the environment. This exploration is an ongoing process, oscillating between random groups of people in public settings to individual intimate stories by close family members like her mother.

Taabu strongly believes that everyone is wired differently despite the general feeling of being ‘boxed’ or structured. Being an artist to her means ultimate freedom, which comes with the privilege of being unique. Through her work and practice, she aims to push boundaries, depict the strength in black women and to shift the narrative surrounding them especially in typical Kenyan societies.

“For me, the idea or the subject matter determines the medium and process, for instance I’ve been exploring my mother as one of my figurative subjects. My aim is to explore her as a person outside her identity as a mother and caregiver. So, I get my inspiration from observing her, taking random images of her while also collecting image references from her past events. For instance, in 2007 she vied for a political seat, so in some pieces I used her campaign posters as part of the image transfers. By gathering, juxtaposing, and repurposing images from books and samplings of South African women from the internet, I managed to achieve tremendous imagery in Untitled Diptych, 2022, in which I’m exploring Black women’s relationship to their hair. In the same body of work, I’ve incorporated sewing intentionally to join the history. I enjoy breaking down my ideas and getting lost in the technique, a studio practice I’m learning from my mentors Wangechi Mutu and David Thuku.”

Taabu lives and works in Nairobi, part-time at Wangechi Mutu studio and Kobo Artists Studio respectively. In 2019, she graduated from Kenyatta University, with a degree in Fine Art. Subsequently, she participated in a residency program at Nafasi Art Space in Tanzania and was a two-time Manjano Art Competition winner (Students’ Category) by GoDown Arts Centre, Nairobi.