Ngecha Artist Association

George Ngaruiya Mukuhi’s Bio

I was born in Ngecha village, Limuru Division in Central Province Kenya on 6^th April 1975. After four years I was taken to nursery school in 1980 for two years, which I completed in 1982. In 1983 I enrolled in Ngecha primary school where I was schooled. On weekends and school holidays I helped my parents in doing some work at home, after that I was to do homework and later extending my resting time in carving stones and drawing using pencil and charcoal. After completing primary education I joined Mishida Boys High School in Elbergon Nakuru District in 1991.

In 1994 I dropped high school due to lack of school fees. I stayed in the village for a period of one year helping my mother in various works like digging and feeding the cows. Sometimes, I did casual jobs to get money to sustain my mother and me because my Father died during the time I dropped out of school. After that one year my mother had managed to save some money and she decided to enroll me in an eight month carpentry course.

I completed the course. I worked as a village carpenter for some time and that’s when I realized that God had given me a talent in art, so I decided to join other artists in our village. I was so interested in art, and I had the talent, that I decided to take art as an occupation. I contacted my aunt who lives in Germany pleading to help me with art materials because my mother had no money to buy me the materials. I also requested my aunt to market my paintings in Germany, which was good because she sold almost twenty paintings in Germany.

After working alone I decided to join Ngecha artist association in 1999 where I met Meek Gichugu, and other memebers, who I shared my vision with. They accepted me in the group and I have been working hard to get my daily bread, up and down I have struggled and so far God has protected me and I am still doing art work. I do paintings, wood sculptures; I do coloured print and scrap metal sculptures, mosaic and mixed media

I have been exhibiting my work in many places I also have attended many workshops like:

WORKSHOPS

• 2000-Artist and youth workshops in Ngecha artist gallery.
• 2002-Children painting in Ngecha primary school
• 2003-Children painting workshop in Ramoma gallery
• 2004- Children painting workshop in Ngecha artists association gallery
• 2005-Mosaic workshop in Gachoire Girls High School
• 2005- Mosaic workshop at Kuona Trust
• 2006-Scrap metal workshop at Ngecha artist association gallery
• 2007-Wood sculpture workshop at YMCA
• 2008-internaly displaced people Counseling workshop at Limuru Kirathimo camp
• 2008- internally displaced people Children painting and counseling workshop at Ngecha                 gospel church camp
• 2009-Mural paintings in community areas teaching health, drug abuse, AIDS awareness three weeks workshop

EXHIBITIONS

• 2001-Group exhibition at Ramoma
• 2002-Art affair exhibition at Ramoma
• 2003-Painting exhibition at Banana art studio
• 2004-United Nation environment exhibition
• 2004-National Museum of Kenya exhibition
• 2004-Ministry of Culture exhibition in cotona Italy
• EXHIBITIONS
• 2005-Health exhibition at Goethe institute, Ministry of culture, Alliance Française Nairobi and MOH.
• 2006-Painting exhibition at Kuona trust
• 2007-Calender competition at Alliance Francaise in Nairobi
• 2009-Obama inauguration exhibition at American Embassy Nairobi
• 2009-Unity through diversity women history and black history exhibition at American Embassy Nairobi.
• 2002-2009-Annual Ngecha art festival exhibition
• 2009-Faith andChurches exhibition at Paa ya Paa Nairobi
• 2009-World music day Daniel Pearl exhibition at Paa ya Paa Nairobi