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section2: Discovery
Esther Mukuhi, Caroline Mbirua and Beth Kimwele chose to work in a shady clearing, weaving elaborate string and stick structures celebrating nature and home. Some artists were carving wood, plaiting twigs and spinning string, while I sketched and doodled.
Each evening our‘ art world’ talk was enlivened by artists’ presentations of their own work. We enjoyed a fascinating range of art interests and practices, from political critique to existential jokes to celebrations of culture. My own impressions and notes from these evening slide shows include many comments that resonate with my own practice.
Meanwhile, our art discussions ranged late into the nights, from the inheritance of colonialism to the uneasy politics of the day, to comparisons of the art scene in our home countries. Our conversations returned time and
22 again to discussions of environmental threats, as the evidence was right before us every day. By day, we saw hundreds of mute tree stumps in the forest, evidence of illegal logging. Some artists chose to make work in direct response. Zambian Nezias Nyirenda carved one of the painful-looking stumps left by poachers into a‘ Don’ t Cut Trees’ signpost.
Used as I am to hiking in nature reserves, I was astonished to find that the Forest Sanctuary is seldom used for recreation. There is a real fear of meeting dangerous poachers. People are also still nervous of the spirits who might inhabit the forest. I was told that’ The spirits of the dead can be heard playing music. Beware of answering them if they call you.’ I hope that Nezi’ s work Forest Spirit might protect us.‘ People are rather afraid of the forest, so they don’ t use it for walks and picnics.’ I was told. How sad. My own project evolved into an attempt to create a space that felt as safe as our own workshop. I began to invent friendly forest guardians, hoping they might watch over any the trees, and any people who came to hike or picnic.
A buzz of creativity: Artists celebrated the Forest Sanctuary in different ways. Yasir Ali built a great entrance to the forest, Nature Is Our Home. Mary Ogembo decorated a small Tree of Life with red paper‘ flowers’.
Some people chose sites close to base camp, others deeper into the forest, such as Mulungeta Kassa’ s sculptural assemblages and hanging works over the stream. He created a shrine-like space, Free Growth, Humans, Animals and Plants. Ginou Choueiri’ s large floral dream-catchers were in a similar reverent mood. Beatrice Njoroge focused on the microcosm with her Camouflage spider webs and drawings in maize on the ground – white shapes which the ants quickly removed. Janet Ranson installed