Chesta Nyamosi is a self-taught artist working with acrylic on canvas. He is based in the slam of Kibera in Nairobi. His passion for art began in his childhood, encouraged by his older brother. “I come from a humble background. My parents knew we had talents but did not believe in art until I sold my first painting and paid for my school. Art for me is something I believe I was born to do, it's my purpose.”

Chesta has been inspired by artists like Eloy Morales, Marco Grassi and Kelvin Okafor among others. In his sincere and eloquently expressive pop realism, African tradition meets contemporary imagery, creating critical and political perspectives. His imaginative and distinctive pop-realistic idiom is based on a bold blending of tones using different sizes of brushes that he called STROKE FACE.

Artist statement

I create with love. My inspiration is driven from our African culture, how people live and express their emotions. I'm inspired by the real, being real, and by telling the story of how it is. I don’t sugar coat.

CV & Exhibition history

Exhibitions include:

2021 - Affordable Art Show, Kenya Museum Society, Nairobi

2019 - Kenya Art Diary

2018 - Sarova Art Festival, Nairobi, Kenya