Graffiti seems to be having its moment in Africa.
In
Lagos, Nigeria, the art graffiti has been embraced by corporate brands
and the state government to beautify the city. This is part of the
efforts to transform Lagos into a mega city.
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An Osa 7 piece on YCEE's set for his 'Jagaban' video shoot (Instagram )
While
graffiti has aesthetic functions in Lagos, it is used for awareness on
social issues in Kenya. Graffiti is not new to Kenya. Many urban art
pieces adorn Matatus (buses) mainly for artistic expression. Also it
used to be a male dominated scene but now the women are stepping in.
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A female graffiti artist with her sketchbook and spray can (Facebook/Graffiti Girls Kenya )
A
workshop known as Graffiti Girls is made up of Kenyan women who use the
urban art form to tackle issues such as domestic violence and mental
health.
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Graffiti girls in Kenya (Facebook/Graffiti Girls Kenya)
"Many
people feel like there’s no one to listen to them. They don’t have a
shoulder to lean on, so they only find solutions via graffiti" says Cynthia Aluoch, a member of the Graffiti Girls, in a video.
The group was formed by Paul Douglas whose graffiti moniker is Smokillah. He created Graffiti Girls to give back to the women who helped raise him.
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