in conversation with Rasto Cyprian

As society crumbles, your intrepid reporters at whowhatwhere remain on the prowl for creative insights and the artists painting our future. This story took us to Seven Artists Studio to speak to award-winning mixed media artist Rasto Cyprian. His work has been celebrated since 2017 and featured in both group and solo exhibitions, locally and abroad. I found Rasto where anyone else would, at his studio. I came in and despite the heavy rain outside, I found a studio warm with conversation.

I sat down with him as reggae played in the background.

Okay, I think we can start. I'm surprised by how big this place is. I thought it would be like a studio by yourself, but it looks like you have a whole community here.

So, tell me about this place and how your friends help with the art as well.

This is a collective of an artist community. We are part of a community. We work as a community. We teach each other techniques and things. It's like an art school apprenticeship really.

I've seen you do a lot of abstract art. Where do you think the feeling that inspires your art comes from?

The feeling that inspires my art comes from the books. Things that I interact with as well.

There’s this question that I have heard asked, and I think it’s a good one: When do you know when a particular piece is done? Do you know when it's done?

I know when it's done usually when I feel there's a color balance or a balance of hues. And I have a title for the artwork.

Ah, so the title comes first or as you finish?

Sometimes it comes first. And then other times as I finish. So, it generally depends on the artwork.

Do you ever have an idea for a title then ikachange by the time you're finishing?

So many times! So many times. Unaeza kuwa na title and the influences you’ve drawn it from. Then as you paint, the paint inaisha and you have to mix or change colours to get what you want. Like colour red inaisha na inabidi nitumie dark blue. And then with that change in process, the title changes.

Oh, okay, okay.

I came across a piece called “The Watchers” on your Instagram that I really like. I think it’s open to many interpretations.As an artist, do you enjoy when people interpret your work?

It's there for interpretation and critique. So, I always leave space for the audience to do that. Because the audience is so important for me. I'm creating this thing yes; but it's visual, and because it’s visual, it is for show. Visual and show. This is for people to consume. So, I really like it when people talk about it because it means, it's interesting to the point that inawabother mpaka wanaiongelea.

Yeah. That part is really meaningful to me. I really like it when people talk about it.

There's a movie called Sinners, sijui kama umeiona?

Sijawatch.

It's very good. Anyway, one of the themes in that movie is art. That art is both of great meaning and attracts many people to it. And sometimes, the people that it attracts are people who want to take advantage of it. What has been your experience with this?

Okay yeah, nimeshaifeel. I feel like there's this group of people who are here to buy art as a basic thing. They just want to put it behind their green sofa and so wanataka a red painting.

On the other hand, there is a group of people who interact with it as this meaningful rare thing. I don't know if it's meaningful. But it's maybe a rare thing.

And it's just people who are interested in your art. When you're making something, it's something that you can open the world. It comes from your soul.

Yeah, yeah.

I don't know how to say it but ... I think I appreciate everyone who comes towards the art. Because even the ‘vampires’ as you say see something of value in the art and I can’t take that for granted.

So, I have a very interesting view of it. I'm shifting my meaning all the time. At the same time, I need to pay my bills. But at the same time, I need to express my feelings. So, I had to come to this equilibrium which I can accommodate.

The people who want it for their sofa. The people who want it for the museum. The people who just love it. The people who appreciate it. The people who just want to support the art.

So you feel like you have to balance all those perspectives.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. To survive in this capitalist society.

(both laugh)

Yes, yes, yes. It’s true.

You just must ... Like even if you're making an album in music, you just have to put some ...

Crowd pleasers?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Halafu ile experimental unaweka huko ndani. Wenye wataipata wataipata.

Okay, okay. I get, I get, I get.

How long does it take for an idea to move from concept to canvas?

For me, I feel like it's seamless. As long as I see my canvas work on the wall, I feel like my mind is on the canvas.

Starting from a reference, it's the canvas. Or I just paint and see where it will take me. Most of the time, I think it will take a month. Because most of the time, I don't know what I'll do tomorrow.

Okay, okay. So it's gonna be like, even weeks or days ata.

Even like one day, or even it'll take a year. I’m mostly limited by the materials available at my disposal. So that lack of movement inakuanga beyond my control.

Yeah.

When I wanted to do a particular piece, the machine needed for it wasn’t there. Yeah. I wasn’t able to buy it. So I had to wait for sometime without movement with the art. You had to talk, apply and it was a long time before I could buy it.

And do you think hio delay, which is caused by things out of your control, helps the art? Or does it take away from the process?

No, I feel like sometimes, it makes you research more. You look for materials that are reachable. And then, after some time in your life, it's better to just access these things faster.

Yeah.

Ndio zinitoke tu ndio niendelee with other things. That's why I have this… I don’t know… resentment or envy of nepo babies. They have these resources.

And all this disposable income.

Yeah. They can do anything. They can do an installation (basically an exhibition), easy. Which is something that takes a lot for an ordinary person to set up and they do it in a rush. And sometimes you do need that time.

For me, the thing that makes an installation so hard is that it has more soul, I think. You need planning because it's a sophisticated one. The longer it takes, the better it gets. But in painting, I feel like, if you have an idea, you want to paint it, it's better to just paint it and get it out of you as quickly as possible. The more you take time to paint a piece, the more you shift meanings, the more utalose affection nayo. And if you lose affection for it, you've lost the connection.

Aah, because the delay is caused by things that are out of your control, it throws you off.

You've talked about Nepo babies. I want to ask you, how do you think your journey shaped your art? Basically, you don’t get to have a journey in the same way. The struggle of getting there isn’t the same.

Don’t get me wrong, kuna ma-Nepo baby wengine wakali. Just incredibly talented.

There are some who are actually able to do it. So tell me about your journey. There are those who have it and those who don’t. How do you think journey shapes your art?

Journey, basically, I think it's like, “Let him cook.” It's like you just take your time to gather your notes, to gather your knowledge, to do some good stuff.In response to the journey, it takes years. It takes experience. Everything you do, it's so important. Actually, it shapes styles, it shapes mediums. It's important to know the scope of your art, to know yourself, to know where to start.

I think journey may translate as my education of art or in art.

I also wanted to run this by you. Some artists see their lovers as their greatest muses and others view them as distractions. That those things can take them away from the art such that they start focusing on them instead. How is it for you?

For me, I've never been in that position. My lovers are there. My art is here. I don't connect them with my art. It's like my peace. This is where I find my peace. So, I don't connect it with the other.

You have that wall that separates it. I see.

I've never experienced that. Maybe it will come. Maybe, maybe.

(laughs)

Do you feel like your art has purpose, or is it more about the joy of creating?

My art has a purpose. It's my way to communicate with the world. I feel like there's so much that I feel in my heart, in my mind. So, I feel it has so much purpose that I don't know the potential. My duty is to just keep going.

When I feel like a piece that has no purpose, the most agreeable thought that comes to mind is to destroy it and make another piece. Because at least that one can speak to someone else. My purpose is to communicate, to tell a story, the things that I think about.

Halafu, nishow story ya hii place. How do all these people come together to make the collective?

That's a nice question. This place started with three artists. And then the three brought four more to make seven main artists in total. I was one of the first ones who was brought. So, this is my space.

I have a mentor still, but then every one of the main artists has to mentor someone else on a short basis. Like an intern. And that brings it to 14 total. Everyone has a mentor because the idea is giving spaces to the people who don’t have any. From the beginning it was always like this. The first one who brought us here told us to look for other artists to bring.

So how it works is that the interns will learn with us for three months, move on, and then other interns will come. And continue, continue, continue. But I'm more of a permanent member. Until I change studios I guess.

I see. Do a lot of people apply to be interns?

Yes. People who want to be interns just approach an artist with your portfolio maybe, then if your application goes through nakuorganizia space yako, you work and learn for three months and then we part ways. Tenda wema, nenda zako.

Okay. That's good. Nitaambia watu.

As we finish, what now? Especially right now in this moment we're in, with maandamano and everything. What's a piece that's speaking to you? Or what are you feeling? What's the piece you're working on right now, basically?

Well, there’s so much happening. Even globally. It’s so much and it’s affecting so many people but I haven't come up with ideas to continue with the process.But I’ve been there before. Where the crisis is actually happening there’s a block but once the wind passes over na vitu zinatulia, something hits. Whatever happens, it is not up to me. That's when inspiration comes. You just surrender to it.

So I'm just focused on internalizing everything for now. Something I could show you now is my piece on the replacement of indigenous crops with cash crops. This was born from when I went home once and found all the different plants we used to grow zimereplaciwa na miwa na mahindi. Hakuna hata mboga bana. Then walikuwa wanatumia fertilizer sijui gani that was bad for the soil.

Now this was something that was so intimate to me and so I felt compelled to paint it. And it came out of me so fast. So for me, my process with the political in my art has been that you have to internalize it first, before it emerges.

That's it. Great place to end it.

Hivo tu?

Hivo tu. Thank you so much for your time.