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)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/We-Are-Spinning-Around-The-Same-Sun-1-a1_50x50cm_2023_EvansMbugua_Bs-1024x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/We-Are-Spinning-Around-The-Same-Sun-2-a1_50x50cm_2023_EvansMbugua_Bs-1024x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/We-Are-Spinning-Around-The-Same-Sun-3-a1_50x50cm_2023_EvansMbugua_Bs-1024x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/We-Are-Spinning-Around-The-Same-Sun-4-a1_50x50cm_2023_EvansMbugua_Bs-1024x1024.jpg)
We are All Spinning round the Same Sun (act 2)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/We-are-all-Spinning-Round-The-Same-Sun-Act2-1_150x100cm_2018-22_EvansMbugua_bs-1024x685.jpg)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/We-are-all-Spinning-Round-The-Same-Sun-Act2-2_100x100cm_2018-22_EvansMbugua_bs-1024x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/We-are-all-Spinning-Round-The-Same-Sun-Act2-3_100x100cm_2018-22_EvansMbugua_bs-1024x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/We-are-all-Spinning-Round-The-Same-Sun-Act2-4_100x100cm_2018-22_EvansMbugua_bs-1024x1024.jpg)
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.
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Cousinhood-Gimmicks_150x100cm_triptyque_2024_EvansMbugua_Bs-1024x688.jpg)
![](https://www.evansmbugua.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Alternation_294x150cm_triptyque_2024_EvansMbugua_Bs-1-scaled.jpg)
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.