Remy Musindi

Is the middle child in a family of 8 children. He was born 56 yrs ago in a rural settlement called Shabwali village in Shinyalu Sub county of Kakamega County. Its only in this community that the sport of Bull fighting is practiced as a culture. It's the region also where the mystery of a huge rock in form of a human being called 'The crying stone' is located!

The art talent was discovered in Remy Musindi at an early stage of 6yrs when he had just started his formal education! He could curve interesting toy cars from wood to the amazement of his peers. This was however during a child's play sessions when at home. It was a common practice for children from peasant families to create their own toys which to play with since their parents couldn't afford to buy them toys from toy stores which was also far off in urban regions. Every time Remy would get time to create something with his hands, he'll concentrate on it taking his time on details passionately!

It was while in grade six at Primary school that his class teacher came into class abruptly & noticed a commotion at Remy's desk when a group of his classmates had gathered staring at a portrait of Kenya's first President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta which he had drawn! The teacher saw the drawing before it could be hidden and he asked whose it was and the other pupils pointed at Remy who by this time was so scared. This type of art wasn't within the school syllabus nor was it acceptable for a pupil to do it during class hours. The teacher took the drawing, looked at it and asked Remy to follow him to the office. Remy was horrified as he followed the teacher trembling! The teacher headed to the Headmaster's office and knocked on the door with Remy following behind as a sheep being led to a slaughter house! On reaching the Headmaster, Remy's class teacher showed him the artwork and said 'look at what this boy has done Sir!'.

The Headmaster's eyes lightened up as he observed the drawing in disbelieve and he asked Remy 'did you do this?'. Remy now visibly trembling with fright answered with a small voice 'yes Sir'! The Headmaster then added that 'this is very good, you are an artist'! This was the first time Remy was hearing the term 'Artist'! The Headmaster went on to enquire who taught Remy how to draw and Remy now so relieved that it wasn't his sentencing answered that nobody taught him but himself! The headmaster then told Remy to ask his father to come to school to see him the following day as he dismissed him to go back to class. Remy's father came to see the Headmaster the following day with Remy and the Headmaster welcome the two with excitement and asked Remy's father whether he knew that his son was an artist. He answered that he had no idea! The Headmaster then pulled out the artwork of the portrait of the President which Remy had drawn and showed it to Remy's father. The father was equally surprised at that creativity! The Headmaster advised Remy's father to encourage his son's talent & let him pursue it on to higher levels.

From that time, Remy was free to practice his creativity but outside class sessions and when he sat for his primary education exams & qualified to join secondary school, he already knew what he wanted to do but his father's understanding of his son's talent thought that this type of creativity fell under the engineering career. He therefore wanted his to get into a technical school which proved challenging at that time since there was only one technical school in the area which didn't have any space left. Remy didn't therefore have an option but to join an ordinary school where he learned that there were some secondary schools in the country that offered artistic special subjects like art but not the one he was in. Remy became inquisitive when while in form two, he discovered that within the same school, there was a student in form four who was taking the fine arts subject privately. Even though the school didn't have an art teacher, the boy was so determined to take that subject as an additional subject. Remy could visit the art pupil as he practiced the subject by researching from external sources to be informed on what's examinable within this special subject, which papers & what were the marking schemes of the paper. The art student sat his final examinations & when the results were out, Fine Art was one of the subjects that he had passed well. This truly encouraged and gave Remy lots of hope & he made up his mind that he'll follow the same example & pursue the same. By this time, Remy's eldest sister Milcah Malenya was his guardian & Remy had to talk to her & persuade her that he could take up the task of registering for this additional special subject & he would pass. Remy's sister Milcah was so encouraging of her brother & agreed to Remy's request. Come the final exams at form four, Remy passed very well especially at fine art which was privately undertaken.

Remy prefers working with Acrylics and his subjects are so diverse but his best are on the Kenyan cultures and people's way of life in general! He navigates through different styles of work to express the feelings within him when dealing with a certain theme or message. He locomotes in realistic, contemporary, impressionism and abstract art! Every style he engages commands a specific strengths & message! His philosophy is 'greatness is living by the purpose that one was created for'!