Katanu Kay Sanna – Abundance in Mariakani

Kenyan visual artist Katanu Sanna works with kitenge fabrics, oil paintings, acrylic paintings and 3D art. She is producing images set in Mariakani, Kenya.

Abundance in Mariakani challenges the belief that Africa is poverty-stricken by telling the story of the Kenyan coastal town. It is a trading hub and has been so for hundreds of years. Sanna travels to Mariakani to explore its status quo, culture, people, and history. 

The project is a series of seven conceptual paintings with colourful landscapes and beautiful skies, giant flowers, and giant fruits and veggies to represent abundance. The presence of repeated blue strings to represent the thoughts and ideas that hold us down or free us. The paintings also feature symbols that represent Mariakani’s history and culture.