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  Thom Ogonga


​One of the leading print-makers in the region, Ogonga's work is inspired by the observation of young university students - often women - around the campus near where he lives in Nairobi. The subtly nuanced images project the gamut of inchoate human relationships, often played out in a bar setting or on the street at night.

Speaking of a work from his recent exhibition at One Off Gallery he says "This comes from a body of work inspired by nightlife, fashion and urban lifestyles. It is mainly influenced by my personal escapades as a young person born, educated, living and working in the city.”. Meanwhile, another collection of work comes from 'Playfully Serious' which explores substance abuse in my locality and is “inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky's philosophical novel 'The Brothers Karamazov' which interrogates the concept of free will.”.

The I&M Bank collection; NCBA Bank; The AKKA Project in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, all hold Ogonga's works. His most significant exhibition was 'Village Gentrification' held at One Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Nairobi, in 2019.
 

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