This is what I am good at, what about you?

Fatuma Abdi Maalim is a 26-year-old painter from Mandera. From a community that is not known for artistic expression, Fatuma definitely stands out.

She began to paint in 2010 to keep herself occupied while she waited for her KCSE results. Though she had the inclination to paint from a young age, she did not get the opportunity to hone her skill, especially because Art and Crafts had been struck off the curriculum.

“My interest in art goes back all the way to primary school when I was in Class One - I loved clay work, and enjoyed working with my hands,” she says. 

 Unfortunately, she did not get to explore her skill beyond this, and only realised what she was capable of as she waited to join college.

“My curiosity was sparked when I came across a fascinating painting online and I thought to myself, “I can do this...” I could not afford the painting material required, so I bought some water colours and tried to reproduce the painting on printing paper. The result was so close to the real thing, everyone was amazed,” she says.

ENROLLED FOR A WORKSHOP

Soon after, Fatuma enrolled for an eight-day workshop on art, where she learnt the basics of her craft. Her elder brother then bought her a few supplies, with which she did her first piece. It was far from perfect, but with practise, she got better and better.

In 2011, she joined the Institute of Advanced Technology (IAT) Mombasa and graduated in 2013 with a diploma in business in ICT. It is around this time that she sold her first painting to a friend, and with the money, bought more painting supplies. That same year, she went back to her hometown to work for the Mandera County Government. Beginning as a secretary, she worked her way up to her current position of IT officer in the ICT department. Though she is busy, she still finds time to paint, producing two or three paintings every week. She has even sold a couple of paintings to the governor of Mandera County, Ali Ibrahim Roba, and his deputy, Omar Mohamed Maalim.

“The extra income I get from my painting is important because it helps covers my father’s medical bills.”

Her biggest challenge so far has been to get a steady stream of clients.

“I am hard-pressed to convince people to spend Sh7,000 on a painting,” explains Fatuma, who specialises in landscape art and Arabic calligraphy.

Are you satisfied with the money you make?

Kenyans like to bargain, if they complain about the price of basic goods that they can’t do without, can you imagine how much they bargain for art they can do without?

The most expensive painting I have sold so far was a complicated Arabic calligraphy; it is the hardest piece I have ever done. It was an entire verse from the Quran. It took me almost three days to complete. I did it on order, and sold it for Sh20,000.

How does IT and art go together?

I love working with my hands, I am constantly fixing things around the house. I never hire electricians or plumbers, I simply do it myself - I love working with computers as much as I love painting.

How would one know they have the talent to become an artist?

If you can reproduce a painting, then you can be an artist. All you need is the will to learn and the patience to grow.

How would you define your style?

I am good at painting landscapes, still life paintings, and of course Arabic calligraphy. I really look up to Neil Simone - he is a visionary surrealist artist with over 40 years of experience.

How did your community react to your skills?

The reaction has really been positive. My community did not expect this kind of talent from a woman, but I think I opened their eyes to the potential of art in our community. Two colleges  in Mandera have approached me to start a teaching art program for their students, but I had to turn them down because I am too busy at the moment.

How would you describe the Kenyan art scene?

It is still new to me - I am just lucky that someone took a video of me painting and it went viral on the Internet.

What does the future hold for you?

I hope to do an exhibition one day, and should it be successful, I can then do art on a fulltime basis. I also plan to explore oil paints and expand my art form.