WhoWhatWhere was born from a series of conversations that writer and art journalist Franscine Machinda had with the people around them—mostly artists—in early 2023. The idea first took shape during an exhibition by one of their favorite painters. For two hours, they discussed Kenyan and East African art, its documentation (or lack thereof), and the preservation of Kenyan culture. When Franscine mentioned they were a writer, the painter asked if they had ever written about art. Their answer—no—was met with a firm suggestion: Start.

Having grown up around art and being an artist themself, Franscine had always been drawn to self-expression in all its forms—from color, to sound, to movement. But beyond the final product, they were captivated by the process: the human stories behind specific chords and the last brushstroke.

A month later, another conversation deepened this idea—in a different gallery, under the influence of both alcohol and inspiration. Surrounded by incredible artists whose work deserved to be seen and an eager audience searching for those very artists, they recognized a gap—and then came the sentence that set everything in motion: "I've been thinking of starting an art and culture magazine."