Dust to Light, an ongoing composite realism series by Clinton Artisto, also known as Clinton Otieno, explores transformation, resilience, memory and hope through textured and coloured portraits inspired by life in Kibera, Nairobi.

Artisto, the founder of Rafiki Art Space in Kibera, uses acrylic, charcoal and heavy impasto in which dust represents where we come from, the struggle, earth and memory, while light is what we become: the presence, resilience and hope made visible.

The series is inspired by his personal experiences of paying for his own school fees through painting, which influenced his understanding of adversity and resilience, and the Covid-19 pandemic, which his community endured. Artisto wants his work to show empathy and creativity in Kibera.

The ongoing series has four works: Eyes That Remain – Kibera, Whispers of the Soul, In Green Silence and Marked by Fire. They are studies that have allowed him to experiment with colour, texture, and portraiture. His goal is to create 30 works.

They portray androgynous figures constructed from memory, photographs and imagination, which is a composite realism approach.

Eyes That Remain, Kibera is a heavy impasto painting on canvas created between Eldoret and Kibera. The work has a turquoise background to evoke the mood of his environment and a heavily scarred surface.

“It is a painting on painting to preserve the history of the painting, and the subject takes the shape from the background,” he says.

Artisto explains that the eyes in his works are intended to confront the viewer directly, with the textured surface letting the gaze be visible from different positions. He adds that the dust from the neighbourhood is part of how he understands his environment.

“When you come to my studio you will see a lot of dust. Kibera has been negated since they feel like it has nothing, but we have something. The dust that comes from Kibera is a background for me. The subject is the light,” he says.

Heavy impasto allows him to build the physical surface of the work. The scarred texture represents feeling and invites viewers to engage with the painting.

The work was also influenced by his experience working with children with neurological conditions. They could experience the texture through touch.

Whispers of the Soul, he builds the hair with thick layers of impasto, incorporating flecks of gold, yellow and blue into the brown. The textured hair expresses his emotions and inner turmoil, the white background gives prominence to the figure’s gaze, and the rain-like texture represents resilience and beauty.

His paintings are as bold and thoughtful. The brown in the work represents people, while the theme of inner strength is inspired by his experiences.

In Green Silence is an acrylic and heavy impasto painting on canvas, and it explores renewal and becoming. The green background represents a farm, with the figure emerging from the field. Green represents life returning after a period of struggles, nature, and the sense of peace it can offer.

The piece connects nature and personal renewal, and he compares evening walks to a form of resetting or meditation. The vertical impasto resembles rain, while its texture represents resilience and beauty.

Marked by Fire is a mixed media piece made with charcoal and embossed paper. It depicts a black silhouette surrounded by thick, fire-like impasto which represents the pressure that can come from a lack of tranquillity, serenity and clarity.

Charcoal lines create a restless face that represents thought, memory and noise, while the silhouette represents the weight carried by a person.

The figure has no visible eyes but has ears and a mouth to depict his interest in memory and the ways people navigate difficult circumstances.

He hopes for a pop-up and international exhibition with the series.