Heaven is Dry | Richard Kimathi Exhibition | Almas Art Foundation: Explore Kenyan artist Richard Kimathi’s expressive paintings addressing resilience, social life, and male mental health, exhibited at The Africa Centre, London.

The Africa Centre 23 - 30 April 2024 
Overview
Richard Kimathi - Heaven is Dry - Exhibition | Photos & Videos & Exhibitions | Almas Art Foundation
The Africa Centre Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 10:00hrs-18:00hrs https://www.africacentre.org.uk/

Almas Art Foundation was proud to present Heaven is Dry, a solo exhibition by Richard Kimathi at The Africa Centre, London. Born in 1971 in Nyeri, Kenya, Kimathi is renowned for his experimental and empathetic approach to contemporary painting, using a unique visual language that blends caricature-like reductionism with deeply human insight.

The exhibition explored themes of resilience, vulnerability, and the everyday struggles of ordinary Kenyans, with particular attention to male mental health and the pressures to appear stoic in the face of adversity. Through his work, Kimathi transforms subtle social realities into visually compelling narratives, inviting viewers to reflect on hidden layers of experience and emotion.

A regular exhibitor at One Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Kimathi has also represented Kenya at the Dak’art Biennale (2006) and the 57th Venice Biennale (2017). Heaven is Dry featured works generously loaned by One Off Contemporary Art Gallery and Richard Kimathi Studio, showcasing the artist’s evolving exploration of identity, society, and the human condition.

Works
Press release

Richard Kimathi studied graphics at the Creative Art Centre in Nairobi and subsequently joined Kuona Trust. He currently lives and works in his studio in Malaa, southeast of Nairobi. Kimathi is always exploring and experimenting.  He has a unique expression, camouflaging an empathetic portrayal of the circumstances of the common Kenyan in caricature-like reductionism: the suffering, privately worn and stoically borne, as if simply the price of life. Invisible to the sleepy eye, this sensitivity permeates the entire body of his work. His practice also highlights the often-overlooked issue of male mental health struggles, and the societal pressures to appear tough while dealing with depression or substance abuse.

Kimathi exhibits regularly at One Off Contemporary Art Gallery. He represented Kenya in the Dak’art Biennale in Senegal in 2006 and the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017.

Almas thanks One Off Contemporary Art Gallery and Richard Kimathi Studio for generously loaning the works in this exhibition.

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