Reconstructed

Reconstructed is part of Evans Mbugua’s ongoing exploration of identity, memory, and resilience. In this body of work, he addresses themes of trauma and reconstruction, drawing inspiration from two ancient techniques: stained glass and kintsugi.

The portraits, intertwined with patterned backgrounds, are hand-painted on acrylic sheets that are cut into fragments and then reassembled using oxidized wire, making rupture and repair central to the material and visual logic of the work. This gesture echoes the spirit of kintsugi, in which breakage and restoration are understood as the continuous history of an object. These works can be understood as silent acts of care, where fragility is allowed to remain visible. Rather than trying to restore what was lost, they suggest that repair can take place through the vulnerable and visible process of reconstruction.