April Kamunde is a painter born and raised in Nairobi,
Kenya. After spending 17 years doing portraiture commissions, she transitioned
into full-time practice in late 2020.
Kamunde works primarily in oils creating paintings that tell
intimate and personal stories. Through soft and delicate brush strokes, her
subjects, oftentimes placed into a natural, lush environment, radiate a gentle
and natural presence. While often working from an autobiographical origin, her
work leans into shared experiences, making it relatable across audiences and
intending to explore and ignite conversations.
Her recent body of work explores meanings of rest and the
pursuit of it, from a personal and feminist angle. The work is driven by
personal reflection and response to feelings of weariness triggered by her
recent experiences of the pandemic, a rapidly changing world and the endeavor
to live a successful and fulfilling life in fast-paced Nairobi, one of Africa’s
mega cities:
“I invite the audience to peer into
the moments of pause and introspection being experienced by the women featured
in the work. I explore what it looks like to choose one’s self, to take up
space, to slow down and unburden one’s self in today’s demanding world.”
The Dera (a long Somali dress), features prominently in the
series. The dress is usually designed to fit loosely, giving ample room for
aeration and movement. In Nairobi, it has grown in popularity, especially as
loungewear. To Kamunde, the Dera serves as a “Do Not Disturb” sign for the
women who wear it, signaling “me-time” and the reclamation of their energy. The
natural fauna, her women are placed into, serves as yet another antidote to, as
well as withdrawal from their every-day performances of societal and cultural
roles and expectations.
