Wangari Mathenge’s paintings explore her cultural upbringing, introducing elements from both African society and the Diaspora. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1973, she spent her time as a child between London and Kenya, before moving to the US when she was an adult. Currently based in Chicago, Illinois, Wangari is a graduate of Howard University and Georgetown University Law Center and is currently pursuing an MFA in Painting and Drawing at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.\n\n\n\n
But her introduction to art was much earlier, as a young child. “I started making art as a child,” she shared in an interview with Issue Magazine. “I was probably first introduced to it in kindergarten. My first recollection comprises plasticine, paper collage, watercolor and the varied possibilities of Lego blocks.”\n\n\n\n