#103 - Elléna Lourens
#103 - Elléna Lourens
Destination: Nairobi, Kenya
Date: 6 - 11 February, 2024
About Elléna Lourens
The South African artist Elléna Lourens has shaped her own style by capturing emotions in subtle yet powerful compositions of intimate human figures. With her colour schemes and line work she seeks to redefine emotional iconography and portray an intuitively aesthetic. With her background in painting murals all over the world, and her many collaborations with other contemporary artists.
You can find more work of Elléna Lourens on her website: www.ellenalourens.com
Destination: Nairobi, Kenya
Rich in culture, history, nature and wildlife, Kenya has something to offer for everyone. The bustling heart of Kenya is found in its capital Nairobi. The name Nairobi is derived from the Maasai phrase Ankara Nairobi, translating to ‘place of cool waters’ which refers to the Nairobi River flowing through the city. In the city you can find contemporary galleries such as Cicrle Art and One Off, while south of the city you can find the Nairobi National Park, home to various wildlife.
Details about the print
Dimensions: ± 50 x 70 cm
Medium: three colours
Edition: edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist
Estimated shipping date: second week of May, 2024
A little word from Elléna
"My expectation going in to the Jaunt trip was to meet people and artists from a new country, to try new foods and experience a different culture. I ended up really enjoying learning more about the Swahili language and the different dialects in the surrounding countries, and meeting people from further North in Africa while hearing about some of the history of the languages spoken in their respective countries.
I felt very lucky to be so welcomed by the people I met, and it was so special to experience more of Africa, to get a better understanding of the continent I’ve grown up on. I was able to meet up with a Kenyan artist named WiseTwo, as we have some mutual friends, and I was very grateful to have someone from there to hang out with, and to show me around. Everyone I met was really welcoming and also very interested to hear about South Africa. Together with WiseTwo I went to a Maasai market, the textiles that I saw there were so beautiful that I couldn’t resist bringing back one too many blankets with me, these hold very strong memories of Nairobi for me.
For my artwork I have created an image of a woman wrapping herself in a blanket. The blanket is a literal representation of the hundreds of blankets I saw, whether in the markets, or wrapped around people in the streets, as well as being symbolic of the beauty, warmth and welcome I felt on my trip. For me this piece encapsulates the essence of my Nairobi experience—which felt like a fusion of warmth, hospitality, and cultural richness."
Travel Diary
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Today I visited the OneOff gallery, which has a sculpture garden, and a small gallery space - I wasn't allowed to take any photos inside.. something to do with the gallery not owning the work. But I took some pictures of a donkey that I met there, and some of the sculptures. - Its in a very green area, a bit out of the city.
From here I went to NCAI (Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute) - It was on the top floor of a semi-abandoned mall, and I was convinced I was lost up until I found the entrance. I liked the work they had in this space.
From here I went to Kuona Trust, which is an artist studio space, in a big garden area, built out of shipping containers, and open to the public. I chatted with several of the artists there, and picked up some stickers. Although I enjoyed getting to visit this space, I personally would not enjoy having my studio open to the public like that.
Up until this point I had been feeling like very much of a tourist, only really seeing Nairobi from the back window of my car. So I hopped on a motorbike to my next spot, which somehow made me feel much more a part of the city. I met up with an artist and friend, WiseTwo who took me to a Masai Market, - again on the top floor of a mall - I picked up some gifts here for my family. There were some really beautiful woven baskets, blankets and amazing bead work - but as I had expected, it is pretty overwhelming too.
Something I LOVE here are the hand painted signs, and advertising, and the uniquely branded/named matatus.
I am trying to pick up some Swahili, but honestly am not managing very well, despite everyone here telling me how easy it is. I have two more days, we’ll see how far I get with that.
Friday, February 9, 2024
I had been hoping to go visit the elephant orphanage today, but due to bad planning on my part, I didn’t realise one if supposed to book weeks in advance. So I decided to go to the Giraffe Centre instead. It was about a 30/40 min drive, and I really liked getting further out of the city, and seeing different landscapes.
We drove past the game park, and my driver told me about the Masai peoples who were stood along the side of the road. - I made a note of this as my youngest brother was particularly excited that I would have the chance to meet a real life Masai warrior on my trip. When we reached the centre, I found it to be pretty packed, with largely American and French tourists, as well as two school trips. The area where you are able to stand and feed the giraffes is pretty small and was quite crowded, but being able to get so close to the giraffes definitely made it worth it.
I feel lucky to say that I travel South Africa quite a bit, and so have seen these animals in the wild, and while getting to be so close to them was very cool, it does feel more special to spot them out in nature.
I met up with Wise again, in the Westlands, where he took me to a local spot to get some food and a drink. From there we moved around the area, going between local joints and very touristic spots, until it got late, and I went back to the hotel.
Tomorrow is my last day, so one more day for my Swahili to kick in.
