What inspires the artist?

“Wahusika is a Swahili word meaning the involved ones. This work is about the people in a community that are involved in making it the way it appears to be—not necessarily the way it is for real… the workers, gossipers, religious leaders, etc. It is based on the gardeners in the book, who are busy painting the white roses red, hence deceiving the viewer about the reality of the flowers’ appearance. Religious leaders and politicians alike sell the idea of hope to their followers. They don’t do this personally, so as not to tarnish their image, but instead have people on the ground who do the convincing on their behalf. The choice of a triptych is a form of physical pattern, and alternation that can continue to infinity. The characters are holding tools as an indication of participation or involvement in building/destroying the community. The flowers in a patterned placement, and in changing color, indicate duality, in which reality can be both true and false depending on the perspective of the audience.”—David Thuku