Vendredi 22 Janvier 2016 11:18:31 par Caroline Bertolino dans Expositions

United Photo Industries is thrilled to announce its next exhibition in our new storefront gallery in the heart of DUMBO Brooklyn, JUA KALI by Tahir Karmali, an exciting and emerging photographic talent.


Stemming from the practice of curating one’s life experiences to generate a perceived self-image, JUA KALI is inspired by the informal sector that breathes character into Nairobi’s economy. The Jua Kali workforce is built from the opportunistic personality and perseverance of Jua Kali workers, who use locally available recycled or found objects to develop their creations. This practice of reclamation, common to Nairobi, informs both the composition of these works and the proudly defined sense of self unmistakably present in the Jua Kali philosophy.

© Tahir Karmali

Each portrait visits a personality who has carved a surreal identity for themselves within the Jua Kali world. The images intimate the idea of found objects as personal adornment, creating a synergy of circuits and flesh that elevate the subject to superhuman status.

JUA KALI is Swahili for “Fierce Sun” – an old phrase referring to the laborers that worked under scorching daytime conditions. Its contemporary use has broadened to mean people that work in the informal economy, yet the stigma that such a life is substandard remains. In reality, it is the Jua Kali sector that fuels the city of Nairobi: with thrift, earnestness, passion and creativity.

© Tahir Karmali

Tahir Karmali is an artist and photographer born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya and based in Brooklyn, NY. Karmali's background in ink painting and fine art studio practice guides his photography process. He is keenly interested in socioeconomics and the movement of people – in his work he often take portraits of groups of people with objects he feels best describes their disposition.