TH I R D E Y E
THANDIWE MURIU
INSPIRED BY THE COVERS OF PROMINENT FASHION MAGAZINES SUCH AS VOGUE AND THE RICH CULTURAL HISTORY OF HER KENYAN HERITAGE, THANDIWE MURIU AIMS TO HIGHLIGHT THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF WOMEN WITH WHOM SHE IDENTIFIES. MURIU PHOTOGRAPHS HER SUBJECTS IN STRIKING, INTRICATELY PATTERNED FABRICS THAT OFTEN RESEMBLE THE TRADITIONAL TEXTILES OF VARIOUS AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND CULTURES. BACKDROPPING THE SUBJECTS USING THE SAME VIBRANT PATTERN, MURIU WANTS HER MODELS TO BLEND IN AND STAND OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE IMAGES IN HER CAMO - SHORT FOR CAMOUFLAGE - SERIES CREATE AN OPTICAL ILLUSION WHERE THE PERSON IN THE PHOTOGRAPH ALMOST DISAPPEARS YET IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE HER. IT STARTS WITH CHOOSING THE FABRIC, WHICH MURIU DESCRIBES AS ONE OF THE HARDEST BUT MOST ENJOYABLE PARTS. SPENDING HOURS IN NAIROBI’S FABRIC SHOPS, SHE SITS THROUGH FLOOR-TO-CEILING PILES OF CLOTH IMPORTED FROM ACROSS THE CONTINENT. SHE IS LOOKING FOR “SOMETHING THAT’S REALLY LOUD WITH AN ALMOST PSYCHEDELIC QUALITY AS IF THE FABRICS ARE ALIVE AND MOVING AND CONFUSING THE EYE.” IT IS RECOGNIZABLY AFRICAN BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE TRADITIONAL DESIGNS. “WE’RE IN THIS NEW AFRICA, THIS NEW GENERATION, WHERE WE LOVE OUR PRINTS BUT WE’RE NOT GOING TO WEAR THEM IN TRADITIONAL WAYS.”
CAMO © THANDIWEMURIU/INSTITUTE
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