Mbugua’s long-standing series Back to the Future (2018-2024), explores the “age of life”, childhood and child-rearing practices, youth and adolescence. The series is inspired by the artist’s kinship with his niece and nephews, whose contemporary life cycles mirrors the artist’s own upbringing in Nairobi.
Extract - Lessons in Selfhood by Sabo Kpade, a curator, writer and researcher who specialises in the art and cultures of Africa and its diaspora.
We are All Spinning round the Same Sun (act 1)
We are All Spinning round the Same Sun (act 2)
Lessons in Selfhood (selection)
“Lessons in Selfhood” marks the culmination of Mbugua’s long-standing series “Back to the Future” (2018-2024). Through his exploration of the “age of life,” Mbugua offers a profound reflection on child-rearing practices and the universal experiences of growing up in the early 21st century.
Mbugua’s “Alternation,” a striking triptych, serves as a symbolic representation of life cycles and generational connections, offering a poignant reflection on the passage of time and the enduring bonds between past, present and future. Extract from "Lessons in Selfhood" by Sabo Kpade.