Coster Ojwang 's Biography, Age, Spouse, Tribe, Real Name, Networth , Songs and Lifestyle Wikidata | Claim this profile

Coster Ojwang 's Biography in Summary

Coster Ojwang, a 32-year-old Kenyan artist, practices and lives in Nairobi. In 2013, he studied art at Kisumu's Mwangaza Art School. He graduated from the institution in 2015 and promptly relocated to Nairobi. He began practicing his art through drawing, painting, and collage. He is an expressive painter who enjoys using big strokes and colors, as evidenced by his work. His inspirations come from his own life experiences, locations he's visited, the people around him, and nature.

Coster Ojwang's work has been shown in the National Museum of Kenya, Golbourn, Australia, the St. Francis Gallery in Massachusetts, USA, and the Netherlands. Coster's most recent exhibitions include Contemporary Impressionism at Fairmont the Norfolk Hotel (SOLO), The Talisman Restaurant Art Show (SOLO), Why I Love Kenya at Polka Dot Art Gallery, and This Is My Story with Ismael Katterrega at The Polka Dot Art Gallery.

Coster is a Luo singer/songwriter and contemporary impressionist (painter) based in Nairobi. His music is inspired by the desire for a connection between urban life, and African traditional society.

1. Do you find it necessary to specify that you're Luo, or can people usually identify this in your work? Do you think there is such a thing as positive tribalism?

I believe that tribe is the greatest precious gift that life has given us Africans. Throughout the continent, there is a considerable deal of tribal variation. As a Luo, I am aware that I represent a community, including those who came before me, those I joined, and those who will follow. It is critical for me to emphasize that I am a Luo since, based on the melodies I utilize, many people who do not know the language have misidentified my music as being from West Africa. However, I feel it is clearly identifiable by the majority of Kenyans.

2. Could you explain a little bit more about contemporary impressionism? What does that look like in a Kenyan context?

Contemporary impressionism is a style of modern art developed by living artists. It takes heavily from the impressionist painters that emerged following the Renaissance, including Monet, Van Gogh, Manet, Matisse, and others. After graduating from Mwangaza Art School in 2015, I set out to celebrate and document the magnificence of Kenya's landscapes, which I then painted. As a storyteller, I concentrate on themes that elicit thought while also creating opportunities for conversation.

3. Why do you think the connection between the urban and traditional society is important? What do you think we have lost through urbanisation and what do you think we have gained by staying more traditional?

I grew up in Andingo, a little village in Migori county, raised by my grandmother, a medicine woman. Then I moved into the city. My experience made me feel more connected to my African roots. This sense of awareness helps me understand where I am right now and where I want to be in the future. As we've grown more urban, our outlook on life has become increasingly individualistic and selfish. We have degraded the value of life because everyone is living their own version, and the human link to the environment has been greatly lessened, if not eliminated entirely. Kenyans are incredibly caring, generous, and compassionate people. When you ride into the countryside with someone who knows the native language, you are reminded of this. We are all from a small village somewhere. Modernisation, however, has advantages. For example, it generally simplifies life.

4. Did you go to school to study art? Do you think school is important for artists? At what point do you think artists should say, this isn't working, I need to change my work - rather, how does one really evaluate whether one is a talented artist?

I attended Mwangaza Art School in Kisumu. School is vital for artists because it teaches them discipline. However, if you are unable to obtain formal education, you are not required to commit suicide. You can also take seminars with professional artists and learn from them.
Art is a jealous and powerful spirit, thus the question of when to cease is unique to each artist. It's also critical to strike a balance between producing money and creating art since we have bills to pay. In most circumstances, art is whatever you can get away with. Art, no matter how good it is, should be able to elicit a reaction or question conventional wisdom.

5. What's the last Kenyan TV show or movie that you enjoyed?

Country Queen!