Equilibrium – A moment in solitude
Equilibrium is the first exhibition by Zia, a Kenyan fine artist and photographer captivated and inspired by black & white photography. He believes that monochrome distills to the essence of the photograph, allowing the viewer to see tones, contrast and texture that would otherwise be missed. He uses long exposures of up to 10 minutes to capture the movement in water and sky to achieve the feeling of other-worldliness found in most of his pictures.
Zia is a trained analogue photographer that honed his skills in his own dark room before transitioning into digital photography 2 years ago. That said he still remains faithful to analogue techniques, processing his images on computer but limiting any manipulation to techniques that could be replicated in the darkroom.
Equilibrium shall showcase 30 photographs from various locations around the world including the beaches of the Indian Ocean, the lakes of the Great Rift and France, waterways in Venice and the lochs of Scotland. The exhibition runs from 15th – 24th June 2012 at the Michael Joseph Centre
The Zebra in the Red Heels
This exhibition is a showcase where art and environmental conservation are merged into one.
Bella MATATA Consultancy conceived the idea of Zebra in the Red Heels - together with other artists they were able to create exquisite art pieces around this theme. These artists include painters, weavers, glass and flip-flop sculptors, and jua-kali artisans. Bella MATATA has been hosting art exhibitions to promote tree-planting projects across East Africa for the past 6 years.
A unique feature of Zebra in the Red Heels Exhibition will be the incorporation of Safaricom and other partners who will mobilize resources for tree planting projects after the exhibition. Our pledge as Safaricom is for every art piece sold at the exhibition, we will plant 100 trees. Also, for each piece sold, the artists have pledged 10% of the proceeds towards planting trees.
Our hope is that more individuals and companies will join in and pledge towards this initiative.
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Why Alter Ego and Safaricom Staff?
An Alter Ego, the other ‘I’, is a second personality within a person,
who is often oblivious to the persona’s actions. A person with an alter ego is said to lead a double life. Alter egos can be applied to the role
or persona taken on by an actor or a performer. It can also refer to different behaviours any person may display in various situations. Super heroes like Avatar, Superman and James Bond are what some individuals fantasize about.
Alter Egos are not always about portraying a positive image. Some are about breaking the rules and venturing onto the dark side yet others are about exploring one’s wild side, if they have one. We all have some form of alter ego, someone we imagine to be, outside our usual characters. We dream of an alter ego that will give us an avenue of escape, a persona that will give a sense of becoming or even a sense of sameness.
In order to celebrate our individual uniqueness and togetherness as we embark on the 2.0 journey to get to know each other as people and not just Safaricom Staff, the Alter Ego Exhibition was conceptualised. This provided a platform for participants to showcase their other side and for the audience to see beyond the normal work etiquette of their peers. This interest in anything else beyond work has led staff to instill the same passion into their daily routine at Safaricom and be part of making it the best company in Africa.
A decade separates our youngest and oldest employee reinforcing the diversity showcased here and the ability to exchange ideas and grow yet maintaining our individuality. We do however have varied passions and interests away from work that motivate us, help us unwind, recharge our creative batteries and come back in to work ready to give it our best shot. These passions come through our “other side”, the side that might not come through when we are sitting at our desks, but is illuminated when our ‘hair is down’.
At Safaricom, we are fortunate enough to explore and exercise those passions within the company through our membership clubs which are made up of diverse ranges that not only enhance our musical skills, but burn our brains and awaken our muscles. These include the Safaricom Choir, Chess, Endurance and Pool Clubs.
The Safaricom Alter Ego Exhibition thus is about getting to know each other as personalities that are not only dictated by work but personalities that imbue passion and zest for activity beyond the norm. This not only brings out the best in us, but allows us to be the best we can be and ultimately achieve our corporate mission of being the best company in Africa.
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The VITI Exhibition
Viti (chairs) often get noticed and valued only for their comfort. They rarely get the attention they deserve. However the VITI Exhibition, the newest sensation at the Michael Joseph Centre, sheds new light on viti, exposing their beauty, diversity, value and their true place in our lives – not just beneath us!
The exhibition showcases the creativity and skilful handiwork of designers and furniture makers using locally-available raw materials. It also illustrates how innovation and eco-consciousness can help us conserve the environment. A major attraction at the VITI Exhibition is the display of rare masterpieces from local communities that graphically bring out the historical perspective to furniture-making in Kenya.
Viti here come in all colours, materials, shapes and sizes. The ‘seating’ experience you get here is amazing; not just the furniture, but also the creative minds that have conceived such timeless beauty and functionality as well as the skilful hands that have crafted these masterpieces.
The VITI Exhibition, no doubt, brings together some of the most gifted minds and hands, providing them with a perfect platform not only to parade and market their wares but also to network and expand their horizons.
A visit to the VITI Exhibition at the Michael Joseph Centre is guaranteed to change your perspective on seats and sitting. Check it out ... and you’ll never take viti for granted again!
10 Years Exhibition
Safaricom’s history is a long and inspiring one. The 10 Years Exhibition visually retraces the whole story, blow-by-blow, in a nutshell. There is a 10-year anniversary documentary that is complemented by portraits of press extracts and adverts.
The Exhibition captures the 10-year journey so well that it gives one the impression of reliving the whole experience all over again. It also paints a vivid picture of the giant footprints that Safaricom has made all over Kenya, over the years. Want to learn more about Safaricom visit the 10 years exhibition
Shujaaz FM
Shujaaz is a cutting-edge comic strip whose creators hope will captivate the imagination of Kenyan teenagers.
Shujaaz, meaning heroes, aims to break the old rules and address contentious subjects head on. Among the topics highlighted are the problems of having enough to live on, what citizens can demand of government and how different people can live together. Shujaaz, the comic, is distributed in the Daily Nation and can also be found on clapboard booths used by M-PESA agents countrywide.
In September they celebrated their sixth month with a whopping 5 million copies distributed countrywide.
Style it Hot
The festival was set up in Nairobi in February 2008. It explores and bridges cultures through fashion, music and art by shining a light on the talent, which exists on the African continent.
The fashion exhibition in conjunction with the Festival of African Fashion and Arts seeks to showcase some of the fashion designers in the country with an aim to celebrate Kenyan fashion and to educate the public’s on the essence of dress.
By exhibiting fashion, Safaricom gives a platform for Kenyan designers (both Fashion and Accessories) to be known by the public, to open new avenues for their sales and revenue generation and for the designers to share their skills with some young aspiring designers through educational activities. There is a big gap between the formal educational curriculum in terms of art education and the real expectation of art field in the market. This avenue will be the beginning step towards trying to bridge this gap and it is our hope that future educational activities will stem from this for the benefit of the young generation
Islands of Creativity
The exhibition features the Kenyan-based visual artists whose works graced the exhibition at the Michael Joseph Centre in Nairobi. The stories told through the pieces are both breathtaking and thought- provoking.
The exhibition offers a glimpse into the wide-ranging interpretation of issues in contemporary Kenya, the artists' sources of inspiration and the techniques used to tell the story in each work of art. It also illustrates the wealth of creativity thriving in Kenya today.
