Cyrus Kabiru, Macho Nne 08 (Nyatiti), 2014. Photographic print, 150 x 120 cm. Courtesy Collezione 54, Milan.

Cyrus Kabiru was born in 1984 in Nairobi, Kenya, and from a young age was immersed in a dynamic urban environment that fueled his curiosity for art and innovation.

Raised in a rapidly expanding city, Kabiru is fascinated by technology, popular culture, and the contrast between tradition and modernity.

His art reflects this tension, uniting past and present, industrial and natural, through a creative use of materials and a visual language that challenges convention.

Kabiru studied art and design at the Nairobi Technical Training Institute, where he began developing an artistic practice that explores themes of identity, consumerism, and the relationship between humanity and technology. However, it is through the use of found materials that his work takes shape. His art is strongly influenced by his experience growing up in an African metropolis, where economic inequality and rapid urbanization are often topics of reflection.

Kabiru’s most famous series is the “Cyborg Sculptures,” in which he creates futuristic masks and glasses using recycled materials, including metal parts, plastic, electronic circuits, and glass. These glasses and masks, reminiscent of cyborgs, are emblematic of his reflections on contemporary identity and the fusion of technology and humanity. His sculptures, often decorated with surprising and symbolic details, are a visual commentary on the growing role of technology in everyday life and the loss of connection with nature and traditional culture.

Recycling is a fundamental aspect of Kabiru’s practice. It is not only an aesthetic gesture, but also an ecological and social statement.

The artist collects discarded materials from Nairobi’s markets and transforms them into works of art, a process that reflects his critique of consumer culture and the relationship between Africa and the West. In this way, Kabiru uses waste to create beauty, offering a reflection on sustainability and the importance of reuse.

His work goes beyond the simple act of collecting and assembling materials; his sculptures explore African experiences and identities in the context of globalization and the growing influence of technology. His “futuristic glasses,” for example, are often interpreted as a metaphor for the distorted or limited vision that Western technology and popular culture impose on Africa. However, Kabiru does not limit himself to a critical reading of modernity: his works always contain an element of hope and innovation, an invitation to rethink and reclaim one’s identity in a changing world.

His sculptures have been exhibited in numerous international contexts, including galleries and festivals in Europe, the United States, and Africa. Among his most notable exhibitions are the Dakar Biennale, where his work received considerable attention, and the Luanda Triennial of Contemporary Art. His unique vision has made him a leading figure in contemporary African art, bringing Kenyan art to the global stage.

Kabiru is also an artist who questions the connection between the traditional and the futuristic, seeking to explore African identity in an increasingly digitalized global context. His works invite the viewer to reflect on the future of the African continent, not only in terms of technological development, but also in relation to the preservation of cultural traditions.

Furthermore, Kabiru does not limit himself to sculpture, but also ventures into photography and video, using various mediums to explore the relationship between humanity, nature, and technology. His work has gained international recognition for its ability to combine art and social activism, and for its critique of consumer culture, often perceived as externally imposed, to the detriment of tradition and the environment.

Today, Cyrus Kabiru continues to explore the potential of the visual arts as a means to explore the complexity of contemporary African society, inviting reflection on the future of technology, the environment, and culture. His work, which blends innovation, ecology, and social commentary, represents a response to globalization and a proposal for a more sustainable and conscious future.

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