Page 49 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 3

ISSUE THREE | NOV/DEC

Beautiful African Woman, was completed her Masters’ when she appreciated in Mombasa. It’s bad.
sold to someone from Norway passed on.” During her funeral, During the exhibition at Alliance
and was sent on a gallery tour everyone her mom had helped Française the artists from Nairobi
in Norway. In an article on that stepped in to support in some way. came here quoting prices for their
piece, Bella is quoted as saying Again about seeds sown. She art that were shocking and in
that African culture is slowly fading says also that her church, Trinity comparison our pricing was so low
away as people embrace Western Chapel, Mombasa have been a because generally the art culture
values. She is further quoted as rock in her journey. in Mombasa is wanting.”
saying that, “Our culture should Bella’s response to her mother’s Of her studio, she says, “I built this
not be wrapped in ugliness. I am death, once she returned to place to be able to showcase all
passionate about showing the Mombasa from the funeral, was to types of art. I love music, I wish
beauty of African girls and women. put together Mombasa’s first ever I could sing but I just croak, but
They are beautiful strong powerful children’s Art Camp. To quote a music is one of the talents I wish
and embrace their cultures. All bold declaration she made online, I had. I want to create a space for
these should be celebrated.” “I am my mother’s daughter. I all types of art to be showcased
fight on...” True to her word, she because Mombasa has raw talent
Her success led to even more has and is. The Art Camp was a and I want to grow it.” Bella sees
attention, this time from a great success, drawing interest a huge gap in education, where
prestigious Italian magazine which and participation from Mombasa the teaching of art is not given the
wanted to feature the talented and Nairobi and beyond, even prominence that it deserves. To
Bella, and so they sent a crew getting some media coverage in remedy this, she is planning to set
down to Bamburi to spend a day a national newspaper. “I wanted up a vocational training element
and a half with her, talking to her to get my mind onto other things, at her studio in consultation with
about her work, her places and mum’s passing was hard on me the Ministry of Education, to help
sources of inspiration.[As an and if I didn’t put my head to work, deepen art skills in Mombasa.
aside, they said – in surprise - “is depression was the other option.”
this all Mombasa has to offer?!” she says, adding that “The idea
but that’s a story for another day] for the Art Camp was conceived
The interviewer was so perplexed and concluded in two weeks.
by the choice of Bella for their Looking at it now you would think
prestigious magazine, that he even that it was planned for six months.
asked her, “Why you?” Under her But like I say, this is bigger than
breath she said, “You don’t know me. It’s God.” The Art Camp was
who my Father (God) is!” held during the month of August,
Towards the end of June, Rosebell which is one of the longer school
received some difficult news, her holidays, and even though Bella
mom had passed away. It was a is a multi-talented artist, she
death that hit Bella hard. She had brought together her ‘tribe’ from
been very close to her mom, a real the art scene in Mombasa to each
source of strength and inspiration bring their unique specialties to
to her. “My dad died when I had teach to the children. Each day, How does what you do tie
just started my first degree in the the participants learnt a different
back to who you are in God?
university. I’m the first born, so the aspect of art and at the end of it
“It’s my purpose.” She says
rest of my siblings were all in high they held an exhibition to give the confidently, “I may not have seen
school. My mom was a teacher budding artists the experience of
the whole picture yet, but I know
and they weren’t earning much, showcasing and selling their art to
I’m on track. This is what I’m meant
but she did everything that she parents and other art enthusiasts
to be doing.”
could to take care of us and put us who attended.
She laughingly adds this little
through school. Sometimes taking Bella also does weekly art training nugget, “I nearly changed my
loans, doing hustles on the side sessions with children, where she
name, I didn’t like my name until
to make it work; and she did. All and other artists teach these young
I realized it could make a good
my siblings have their university minds diverse art skills “Why
brand name. I was called Nelly for
degrees. And we were never children?” We asked. “I wanted
a long time, until my grandmother
alone; she was always taking care to put my effort where it would died and then my father changed
of other children and raising them make the greatest difference in
my name to hers. But now I love it.
up. Once she was through, she 2 or 3 years. I want to prove that
You know Bella means Beautiful?”
decided to better herself and did there is talent in Mombasa not just
Smiling, she also tells us, “I named
her first degree. She had almost Nairobi. Art is so heavily under-
my daughter Nelly.”
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