Mika Obanda: Mosaic art
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This episode of The Documentary In the Studio follows Kenyan artist Mika Obanda as he creates powerful, emotionally charged artworks from eggshells in his Mukuru slum studio in Nairobi. Mika’s journey—from overcoming personal struggles with drugs and identity to finding redemption through art—forms the heart of the narrative. His series 'Trying to Blossom' explores resilience, self-expression, and the challenges of living in a marginalized community, while also addressing systemic issues like femicide and police brutality. After a devastating fire destroys his original studio and much of his work, Mika receives unexpected community support that leads to a new, expanded space and renewed creative energy. The episode captures his evolution as an artist and activist, using materials like eggshells, charcoal, and pastels to transform trauma into beauty and hope. His new studio, filled with plants and natural light, symbolizes growth and freedom, both personally and artistically.
Art can be a transformative force for healing and self-expression, especially in the face of trauma and adversity.
Using discarded materials like eggshells turns waste into powerful statements of resilience and creativity.
Community support and shared vulnerability can spark renewal and rebuild lives after loss.
Artists from marginalized communities challenge societal perceptions by centering their lived experiences.
The creative process itself—messy, meditative, and deeply personal—can be a form of resistance and liberation.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introduction: The Power of Art from Waste
The episode opens with a brief ad for BBC Radio and introduces Mika Obanda, a Kenyan artist who creates intricate mosaics from eggshells. His work is presented as a form of personal and political expression rooted in the realities of life in Nairobi's Mukuru slum.
Inside Mika's Studio: Materials and Meaning
“When I'm using eggshells, I'm exploring colour.”
The 'Trying to Blossom' Series: Art as Resistance
“They'll watch you grow, they'll watch you flourish, they'll watch you be this person who they never thought you'd be.”
The Fire and the Road to Renewal
“I felt like all my effort, everything that I've been putting together to prepare me for the future and for my career has gone to nothing.”
Rebirth in a New Studio: Light, Plants, and Vision
“Even though there is trauma, there's still hope and vision that we will rise past all those things that are happening in life.”
“Even though there is trauma, there's still hope and vision that we will rise past all those things that are happening in life.”
“They'll watch you grow, they'll watch you flourish, they'll watch you be this person who they never thought you'd be.”
“When you speak it out, that's where you actually get freedom. When you don't do that, you get locked into yourself and you forget there's a world out there waiting for you.”
Host
Guest
Mika Obanda
person
Eggshells
other
Freni Jowi
person
Mukuru
place
BBC World Service
organization
Kenya
place
Charcoal
other
Kibera
place
Pastel
other
World of Secrets
media
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