“empty your mind and rest from what you have been thinking too much about. There are answers in the universe if you let them come to you, they will”-Wavinya Ngei
Roaming about in the stupendous 9th Universe that is Nike Art Gallery while engaging some of the eloquent artworks in the towering building- still, it was not hard for me to notice Wavinya Ngei.
There was something inexplicably different about how she was absorbing the pieces of art. Her gaze fixed on them like a miner trying to extract something valuable from the ground. Something which you would find out in the latter part of this publication.
“Whatever I know, it may not be much but if it can help someone, I am glad to share.”- Wavinya Ngei
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Wavinya Ngei
I didn’t think much of her style of art assessment until she spoke in a special gathering put together to host dignitaries that, as usual, came to visit the iconic Dr. Chief Nike Okundaye that sunny Sunday afternoon. At that point, it was when I knew she had to be featured on Arteasy Insight.
I was discouraged from following an artistic path. We were told to find a profession. Something else: lawyer, teacher, doctor ”- Wavinya Ngei
Although in my Whatsapp chats with her preceding the interview, Wavinya Ngei was not really certain she had a great number of insights to dispense. But would later give in to my persistence.
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At the beginning of the 1 hour Whatsapp Voice Call interview. She was quick to state that “ whatever I know, it may not be much but if it can help someone, I am glad to share.”
“Film is one artform. Film is art- because you are creating the world yet to unfold”-Wavinya Ngei
Wavinya Ngei is a guru, film production designer, and art director. At the same time, she simply prefers to be referred to as a visual artist. For the reason that you need “color, texture, and a team which represents the usual art mediums like canvas, paints, etc to do the job of a visual artist”.
Like the everyday visual artist, Ngei defends her right to be called a visual artist “because (as a film production designer or art director) you are creating the world yet to unfold.” Moreover, according to Ngei “ having more arts in your film makes a story deeper with layers that make it more memorable to your audience”
“Sometimes at the beginnings, it can be somehow tough but life teaches so much”- Wavinya Ngei
Wavinya Ngei worked in the Art department for the 2019 directional debut of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s movie The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. She co-designed the sets for the 2020 multi-award-winning Kenyan Netflix original POACHER and worked in the art department of the 2021 movie ENDANGERED SPECIES directed by the former director on one of the episodes of Marvel’s Iron Man.
Remaining self-willed to the dream that she nurtured from her childhood on Massaku farmlands in Eastern Kenya, and having “ to learn on the job or teach myself”; Ngei was glad at the opportunity to come to Nigeria. “I always wish there was somewhere I could go and learn more” she hints.
She currently teaches film production design and acts as the head of the art department for the reputable Ebonylife Creative Academy founded by the highly honored Media Icon Mo Abudu. But getting to the level she is today is not as bright as beautiful as when she started out to follow her vision to be part of the visually creative industry.
“As long as you have an open mind, everybody can teach you something. Every day is an opportunity to learn something. As long as you are willing to learn, there is always something you can learn whether from old or young people.”- Wavinya Ngei
Wavinya loved painting a lot as a child and was drawn to the movies. However, even though Wavinya Ngei grew up in a part of Kenya, Massaku, well known for their artistic customs of music and sculpture amongst other practices similar to those promoted in today’s art world; she never had as much support from her family or community to take art seriously from a young age. But they always have in their own way.
“We didn’t even get to watch films”, she cuts in quickly as if trying not to forget to mention that. “I was discouraged from following an artistic path. We were told to find a profession. Something else: lawyer, teacher, doctor ”, she continued. This was out of her parent’s financial concerns for her and the unenlightened idea that art was not a respectable career choice.
Regardless of all the discouragements she experienced growing up as regards chasing what she loves, Wavinya Ngei insisted that “ I don’t think my situation has anything to do with gender- it is a general viewpoint that artists, male or female, do not succeed financially in our society. Thankfully, that is changing.”
“Maybe the money was not good initially, but the knowledge and experience will change with time. The more value you offer, the more you can demand a fee, the bigger your market, and the wider your network.”- Wavinya Ngei
She would go on to the university to secure a profession that was more generally acceptable to her family. Afterward, still faced with financial woes that avoiding visual art was meant to safeguard her from, Ngei tried her mind at doing business.
But in her words, “I struggled because my heart was not in it.” In an attempt to defend that statement, she further gives a description of “just doing it to survive not because you like it; it pays the bill”.
She further declares that “we will be at work for six days a week and my boss would still decide to pay us less ( than the expected salary)”. That was the make-or-break moment for Wavinya Ngei. Without much thought, she took the bold step of quitting the non-fulfilling job.
Indeed, as she said, “passion is on its own a self-igniting thing.” With a strong determination and an 8-month-old daughter to provide for, Wavinya Ngei against all odds pursued what she was passionate about. “They said you are (Wavinya Ngei is)going to come back and that propelled me”, she stated emphatically.
“Passion is on its own a self-igniting thing.”- Wavinya Ngei
As a reward for her consistency in pursuing what she believed would give her life purpose, Wavinya Ngei got her first gig working in the art department of the East Africa reality-singing competition: Tusker Project Fame. “Maybe the money was not good initially, but the knowledge and experience will change with time. The more value you offer, the more you can demand for a fee, the bigger your market, and the wider your network.”
While her dream, in reality, was not different from the facade she resigned from- “I really enjoyed it. It slowly went on. I really liked it. There were endless hours but because it was something I love doing it was worth it and I have never looked back since 2006” Ngei affirms.
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Ngei’s Advice to Emerging African Creatives
“Go out, the world is full of ideas and inspiration; meet people to grow your network. You don’t know where the next opportunity will come from…get to know who is there and let them know you are there and the kind of work you do”– Wavinya Ngei
Offering her advice to emerging creatives and visual artists, Ngei places so much emphasis on two things. The first is learning.
“As long as you have an open mind, everybody can teach you something. Every day is an opportunity to learn something. As long as you are willing to learn, there is always something you can learn whether from old or young people.” She further adds that “it is better to stay curious and listen especially and open your eyes to what’s there”
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“Go out and meet people to grow your network. You don’t know where the next opportunity will come from”, she says concerning the second thing which is networking. She continues by saying “get to know who is there and let them know you are there and the kind of work you do”
“..embrace challenges, it builds your muscle to handle big goals and achievements. Without it (challenges) we won’t be anything.”- Wavinya Ngei
The engrossing interview would be forced to end when Ngei’s phone notified her about the drained battery. Fortunately, 5% battery was enough to hear her opinion on the questions of creative block and sustaining one’s passion in a nation like Africa where there is no stable support or resources.
Talking about the challenges of pursuing dreams in Africa generally, Ngei says “we are our own inspiration. We have a glorious history. There is so much everywhere in the world. There are challenges and in Africa, we surmount challenges people didn’t expect us to survive.”
However, she is of the opinion that Africa is in this state it is because “we lost touch with our own culture and stopped believing in ourselves.” The solution she believes would be “reconnecting with our true history that’s beyond 500 ages.”
Finally, she admonishes emerging artists to “ embrace challenges, it builds your muscle to handle big goals and achievements. Without it (challenges) we won’t be anything.” Summarising her thoughts, Wavinya Ngei says “we should not be daunted by the challenges but take it head-on.”
Closing the interview on how to tackle creative block, “empty your mind and rest from what you have been thinking too much about. There are answers in the universe if you let them come to you, they will” Ngei advises. Describing her own creative block-crushing technique, she explains that “ if I am stuck, I go somewhere I haven’t been before…walking in a place that has lots of activities is a form of meditation for me.”
Back to the important something she was trying to unearth from the different artworks she fixed her undecipherable gaze on, Wavinya says she was “reading and being inspired by other people’s creativity which was why you (I) found me (her) in Nike (Art Gallery).” She goes on by saying “ you can’t go to Nike (Art Gallery) and come out empty because it is filled with creativity.”
