A rich mix of women artists are gathering at The GoDown this week as part of the Rika Art Residency organised by The Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH)

The objective of workshop is to encourage intergenerational dialogue through which we create shared knowledge, meaning and a collective experience. 

Women artists at different points in their careers have been gathering daily to explore wax as a medium of artistic expression. They have also been learning about batik, encaustic painting and wax sculpting. 

Importantly, in addition to the skills sharing, the women are engaging in priceless conversations led by fellow artists and creatives regarding the challenges and opportunities facing minority genders in the Kenyan creative economy. Key among the discussions is the quest for practical solutions to ensure longevity in practice and sharing of art. 

Artists Tabitha wa Thuku, Maggie Otieno, Barbara Guantai and The GoDown’s Joy Mboya, are some of the women who have brought their experience to the workshop, giving talks and fielding questions from the younger creatives. They have shared their own experiences with dealing with stereotypes and misconceptions as female artists, work-life balance and the challenges they face re-entering the profession after a break to raise families.

TICAH works with artists to host the Rika Residency, an artist-led residency program in which artists of different age sets (Rika), genders, studios/collectives and practices come together to explore their creativity and discuss issues affecting their community. 

The residency culminates in an exhibition of the artists’ work at The GoDown this Sunday. The artwork featured in the poster is by visual artist Nadia.

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