As a young magazine, we would not normally feature an artist we have previously spotlighted but we are making a special exception in this case for very special reasons. I met Nicholas Sironka, a Kenyan Maasai batik artist, at an art show in Spokane Valley nearly two years ago. He struck me as not only an exceptional artist but also an exceptional individual as well. The more I have come to know Nicholas, the more I have confirmed my earlier suspicions.
Nicholas has worked tirelessly on his artwork to sustain himself, but more importantly, to give aid to his Kenyan friends and their families by sharing Maasai culture. In fact, he has organized several visits of his Maasai tribespeople to come to the United States to perform dance and song as well as teach us about their culture. Ask yourself, when will you ever have the opportunity to learn and experience what it is like to be Maasai in Kenya, from the people who live there? This is why we are taking this opportunity to share with our readers the upcoming visit from Nicholas Sironka’ s friends and family. They will be sharing with us a culture very much different than ours, and yet in many ways, something to envy.
Nicholas, can you share with our readers a little bit about yourself?
I am Nicholas Sironka, a Maasai visual artist from Kenya with a God-given talent to present facets of my Maasai culture by use of large fabric paintings. My medium of choice is Batik, which is art created with the use of hot wax and cold water fabric dye.
As a self-taught visual artist these many years, I seek to present and articulate the Maasai culture with dignity and truth and beauty. I continue to do so through my paintings, with their accompanying story captions. Over the years I have held many lectures on the history and lifestyle of the Maasai. My Batik art classes and workshops in schools and public art venues are literally hands-on projects that are geared towards directly advancing American’ s knowledge of Kenya and her people, while giving special attention to the Maasai people and their culture.
As a child growing up, I enjoyed drawing and painting. My parents always encouraged and supported my artistic skills, encouraging my creativity by buying me art coloring and drawing books. My debut into the commercial world of art, however, was as a freelance artist illustrating for book publishers and working as a graphic artist for local magazines in Kenya.
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