Dickens Otieno

Dickens Otieno’s practice is driven by the search for meanings in objects and materials that are discarded and no longer useful. Aluminium cans gathered from local kiosks, bars, and marketplaces, are shredded and woven into tapestries, akin to natural materials such as papyrus, raffia, or palm that have long been used for weaving.

Doors, as with other recent compositions from Otieno, draws on the built environment – the urban landscape in which he lives – reducing and abstracting lines and forms visible in and around the city. The resulting works possess sculptural qualities, drawing the viewer’s attention to colour, texture and volume.

Otieno has participated in group exhibitions locally and internationally. Recent exhibitions include: See Here, Old Neals Auction House, Nottingham, 2018; Africa/Africa, Total Arts Courtyard Gallery, Al Quoz, Dubai, 2018; Young Guns, Circle Art Gallery, Nairobi, 2017; The Third Dimension, Circle Art Gallery, 2016; UNI-FORM MULTI-FORM, Roots Contemporary, Nairobi, 2016; Paint and Metal, National Museum in Nairobi, 2016.