At her small apartment in Mwihoko, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Fridah Ijai is racing against time to finish up a portrait painting, her latest work and also what she terms as her last submission of 2023.
She says this will take her up to a week to complete. It will fetch her Sh85,000, almost $550, according to current exchange rates, and it is such payments that have enabled Fridah to live off her artwork.
“My clients are mostly people who own hotels or restaurants and are basically art lovers. I can sell several small pieces in a month, but it is not standard.”
What makes her work unique, as she says, is that each has a soul.
“It is a depiction of what is happening in real life. I’m inspired by my immediate environment, controversial stories in our society and the beauty of nature,” she adds.
Born in Mumias, Kakamega County, in the western part of the country, at just 28, Fridah has already carved her niche for herself, with some describing her as the Da Vinci of our time. Her painting prowess is considered by those who have interacted with her work as far beyond her young age.
Her best work entitled ‘In My Thoughts‘, which she painted in early 2023, sold just a few days after she finished painting, and this perhaps is a reflection of why her art’s recognition has not only captured many not just in her home country, but far beyond the borders.
She showcases her works in exhibitions and sells merchandise of her original works, but she also gets commissions from clients who want her to do some personal paintings.
Fridah Ijai poses near one of her painting. PHOTO | NMG
In East Africa, she has showcased her work at the Kenya Museums Societies, the Village Market, the International School of Kenya, and the Xenson Art Space in Kampala, Uganda, just to mention a few.
“I have also sold samples of my work to the Jesuits Conference of Africa and Madagascar. Recently, I sold my piece to a collector in Rio de Janeiro.”
And with such a portfolio, Fridah is proud to say that she exclusively lives off art.
Describing herself as both a self-taught and school-taught artist, Fridah first realised she was an artist at just 10 years old.
“We had an art class, and my teacher then asked us to draw a certain area of the school. I was picked as the best, and the teacher’s reaction to my drawing sparked something in me. I knew from that time that I was an artist,” she says.
Later on, she joined high school and picked art as one of her subjects of interest. “Then I enrolled at Kenyatta University to pursue art as a major course, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in fine art in 2022.”
Before that, her father had also played a role in moulding her talent as an artist.
“He would guide my baby brother and me to draw cars.”
This may explain why her parents had no problem approving her decision to become an artist.
“They made sure I followed my dreams, took me to art school and are always present in my Art shows. Right now, they are my number one fans.”
It is the same support system that she has been getting from her siblings and friends. “They are always present when I need them, for instance, when transporting my pieces to the shows, attending my shows, applauding me and shouting out at me on social media,” she says.
But even with such a strong backup, just like any other artist, her professional work hasn’t been spared from challenges.
Like many African artists, her biggest hurdle is securing a spacious studio space. “Currently, I’m working from home. This limits my work creation, and my clients can’t access me on the ground.”
The lack of a separate working space also presents the challenge of transporting her work to displays.
“Most of my shows usually happen in uptown Nairobi, which is quite some distance from where I live, and so, apart from being costly, the movement also exposes my work to damage,” she adds.
But above all, Fridah complains about the lack of appreciation for her work, especially in the continent. She says she struggled to find a concrete fan base locally. Thus, most of the collectors of her work always come from abroad.
“When people don’t understand what you do, you end up not making as many sales as expected. When your work is well appreciated, whereby apart from making money, you get good feedback that builds your momentum and workflow as an artist.”
But even with these setbacks, Fridah stays resilient as she continues to be inspired by American artist Jean Michael Basquiat.
“He is one of the bold characters that lived their dream to the fullest despite all the challenges artists face, and he’s influenced my work a lot,” she adds.
