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JUA KALI

Tahir Carl Karmali

Stemming from the practice of curating one’s life experiences to generate a perceived self-image, JUA KALI is inspired by the informal sector that breathes character into Nairobi’s economy. The Jua Kali workforce is built from the opportunistic personality and perseverance of Jua Kali workers, who use locally available recycled or found objects to develop their creations. This practice of reclamation, common to Nairobi, informs both the composition of these works and the proudly defined sense of self unmistakably present in the Jua Kali philosophy.

 

Each portrait visits a personality who has carved a surreal identity for themselves within the Jua Kali world. The images intimate the idea of found objects as personal adornment, creating a synergy of circuits and flesh that elevate the subject to superhuman status.

 

JUA KALI is Swahili for “Fierce Sun” – an old phrase referring to the laborers that worked under scorching daytime conditions. Its contemporary use has broadened to mean people that work in the informal economy, yet the stigma that such a life is substandard remains. In reality, it is the Jua Kali sector that fuels the city of Nairobi: with thrift, earnestness, passion, and creativity.

About Tahir Carl Karmali

Tahir Carl Karmali is an artist and photographer born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya based in Brooklyn, NY. My background in ink painting and fine art studio practice guided my photography process. I am keenly interested in socioeconomics and the movement of people — in my work I often take portraits of groups of people with objects I feel best to describe their disposition.

photos by

Tahir Carl Karmali

Exhibition Dates

February 4 – March 26, 2016

Artist Reception

Thursday, February 4 from 6 – 9pm

Category
Gallery Exhibitions
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