Wambui Kamiru Collymore

Wambui Wamae Kamiru Collymore has been developing artwork around the theme of decoloniality, identity and independence in Africa. Through her own work in contemporary art – mainly simulated experiences, Wambui tackles history, politics and social issues. Originally a painter, her main medium is acrylic on canvas with newspaper print, with some pieces incorporating copper wire. Wambui now creates installations with various mediums. She is currently intrigued by pattern, its repetition and memory. She is also interested in the longevity of work within the social media space and experiments with translations of her work for Twitter and Instagram. Wambui Kamiru holds an MSc in African Studies with a focus on Kenyan History from the University of Oxford. Her dissertation focused on the attempt to create collective memory around Kenya’s Mau Mau War and the family of Field Marshall Dedan Kimathi. With this background, Wambui tells stories about the passage of time, through her artwork.

During her residency at Bemis, Wambui will be exploring new art techniques, skills and developing art ideas. Over 2024, Wambui will be researching items of material culture held in museums and archives in the US and UK. Specifically, she will create work related to Kikuyu artifacts, held in these collections. In 2022, Wambui produced a solo exhibition on the experience of grief, All My Venus Days (#AllMyVenusDays). This work was created as an installation and offered a cathartic space where the audience could also honor their own grief. The work was featured as part of Africa Avant Garde on CNN International. She is one of the three finalists of the 2024 Henrike Grohs Art Award.