Other Arts from Afrika

BENSON MURAGE: KENYAN ARTIST AND PAINTER

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Self-taught mixed medium artist and painter Benson Murage was born in Kenya. He has created a method of making his art literally pop out of the canvas by using fabric, papier-mâché, and even eggshells and other materials such as metals. His tagline? Creativity takes courage.

“I’ve been in this field of Art for about two decades. I never went to school for it, but I had a chance to be with some of my colleagues who nurtured me in art for at least one year and that’s how this Murage Art was born.”

“I do a lot of things, I use even waste… you know art is so broad we cannot accomplish everything in art, because out of everything you make, you make art. I use both oils, acrylics. (Points to a painting)… I have used both eggshells and acrylic on top. But even if it was uh just the eggshells alone, it comes out so nicely.”
Murage mentioned that the most challenging part of his work is dealing with Africans. He says, “You know I think somehow and especially Kenyans, they killed art when they put it out of school and it’s a challenge. I wish they could realize that they killed it. Because when people are coming to buy art, they just consider it like sugar. You know they weigh it like sugar. And when you charge them, they don’t consider that it’s a luxury, it’s expensive.

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Art is supposed to be expensive, it’s not supposed to be cheap. Because what you’re buying is somebody’s creation. Kenyans don’t have that enough value for art.”

When asked what inspires him, he had this to say, “I think mostly I’m inspired by God. You know God is the biggest artist we have. Yeah. I am inspired by God. God inspires me. You know when I look at everything and um it’s just amazing to see how He’s a great artist.”

Murage is currently looking for market for his pieces in Europe and the west because he believes that’s where we have the right market for art. We wanted to find out how to develop the market in Africa and he said, “I think it has to start with the schools. Like I was telling you, we have to study somewhere, at least [so] people can understand. You see, I have dealt with people who have money, but these people have proved that they lack the knowledge about art.

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They don’t know. You go to their houses; you find nothing on their walls or just paper posters. So you know it is that knowledge they are lacking.”

“We need to let them understand that as an artist I can only communicate through my paintings. That is the only way God has given me. For me, painting is my language. Sometimes I may lack how I can talk and you understand me, but through my paintings somehow you can understand.”
“I teach people. They just come here [to his workshop] for lessons. In fact, today I was talking with another parent and she was telling me her children are so interested in art. So I asked her, because she is a teacher, do you teach art in your school? And she said, ‘yes but no. Yes it is there, but the teacher who is there has little knowledge about art.’ You see? And that’s something we are getting wrong. We get the wrong people to do the right task. But I just wish I could get the opportunity to teach these children.

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So many people have passed through my hands and some of them have excelled.”

Benson can be reached at:
bensonmurage74@gmail.com
+254 (0) 722 508161