His name floats around major cities, but in the form of paintings. His visuals are unique for one reason – they are of women. To him, women are a representation of society, and thus, they are his favourite to portray.
Patrick Mukabi fondly remembers his childhood, particularly primary school. His parents didn’t shy away from investing in their son’s education and so they sent him to Loreto Convent Mombasa. The school was like any other Catholic institution: a church with stained windows, various statues of Mother Mary and several pictures of apostles and Venerable Mary Ward. As a child, Patrick saw these ordinary faith-related works as what they really were: art. They inspired him and the twinkle of his artistry shone then.
Mondays in Loreto were particularly special to Patrick. He had an art class that incorporated visual art and story writing. He learned that paintings could tell stories, and stories could be written from paintings.
Custom changed when Patrick’s family moved to Nairobi. The move meant a new school and regrettably, the lack of art classes here suspended his growing creativity. The zeal to paint was overtaken by the requirement to perform in other mandatory subjects.
At Arya Boys, where he enrolled for his secondary education, art reappeared like an old friend. He was re-introduced to his lost passion and quickly fell in love with the process of painting again. He later transferred to Eastleigh Boys High School, and even here, the curriculum saw the value of art.
All the access to information on this subject he was so passionate about bore fruit first in 1994; Patrick’s work was presented in a group exhibition. The following year he was nominated for and thereafter awarded as the Best New Artist at the East African Industries Annual Exhibition.
Today, Patrick is celebrated around Kenya, not just as an artist, but as a teacher. He enjoys the process of guiding beginners into the world of sketches and paint. The process starts, often, with the understanding of anatomy, playing with shapes and, in time, understanding volumes. He is, undeniably, a busy man, but one dedicated to spread his artistic knowledge. He is an active art teacher of the children at the Kenyatta Hospital Cancer Ward, students at various public schools and community centers dedicated to art.
Patrick has taken the little child in him years ago in Mombasa and used his needs from then and his knowledge of now to reach a number of aspiring artists. For this reason, we celebrate his craft and his Paukwa spirit; a rare find but one worth appreciating.
