About

Kenneth Nkusi is a Rwandan visual artist with formal training in architectural design and professional experience in planning and constructing buildings.

His early figural paintings documented the vibrancy of Kigali’s streets, perceptively capturing the constant movement, vivid colors, and intricate geometric patterns. In 2017, Nkusi shifted away from the naturalistic representations of scenes that surrounded him and began experimenting with abstractions that incorporate organic materials; from the earth. To create these abstractions from nature, Nkusi mixes used coffee grounds and water with acrylics paint, forming distinct pigments that he applies onto canvas.

The resulting works are three-dimensional paintings made with layers of drips, cracks, and protrusions. Their textured surfaces call to mind Rwanda’s volcanic soil and topography of countless hills and streams. The use of coffee — from coffee beans to grounds to waste to artistic form — is a metaphor for life represented in the rebirth of the used grounds in his work. Nkusi aptly titles his work after themes that dominate the pieces, such as Rejuvenation, Rebirth, Regeneration and Restoration to mention a few. He wants to emphasise the theme of sustainability and recycling that is predominant in his art. Through his work, Nkusi seeks to re-examine his relationship to the natural world.

His paintings, which transcend the traditional painting methods by incorporating natural materials, allow viewers to embrace the organic nature that surrounds them. This creates a deep personal connection and personal interpretation between the viewer and Nkusi’s art.