Yony Waite is one of the most important environmental and visual artists of Kenya, East Africa, and beyond the borders of the mind as well as geography. In fact, Yony ‘emerged’ as a citizen of the world long before she came to Kenya. Her passing on will touch the hearts of many who loved and admired her as an artist and activist for the planet.
She was born in Hollywood, raised on the island of Guam, and trained artistically both at the University of California, Berkeley, and Japan where she apprenticed under sagacious Master painters. By the time she arrived in Kenya after spending time in Somalia with family, she was already a practising professional artist. She initially came as a tourist. But then, I think she was grabbed by the land, the wildlife, and the ocean.
