American pop artiste Keith Haring was diagnosed with Aids in 1988 and died two years later, at only 31.
In his last years, he used his instantly recognisable work of brightly coloured cartoon characters, often in motion, to draw attention to social issues like HIV/Aids and safe sex.
Art has not only the power to provoke and inspire ideas but also entertain and create real change. Spanish artist Pablo Picasso went as far as to declare: “Painting is not made to decorate apartments; it is an offensive and defensive instrument of war against the enemy.”
The 50th anniversary of his death, on April 8, “Celebrating Picasso 1973-2023”, featured 50 exhibitions and events which together provide a historiographical analysis of the artist’s work. Among the most famous painters in the history of Western art, his free, expressive, multifaceted artistic language still influence contemporary art and thinking.
Guernica, which has become emblematic of the fight to protect human rights, is one. No artwork has become as important a symbol of anti-war movements as a portrait.
The heartbreaking painting depicts the overnight bombing of Guernica city in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. It was made into a full-size replica tapestry, which hangs in the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Artworks have revolutionised the way we think about politics, social issues and art itself. They’ve had an undeniable impact on the art world and beyond. Illustrator Norman Rockwell made his career depicting the normalities of American mid-century life—the good and the bad.
His 1964 painting The Problem We All Live With shows a young black girl, Ruby Bridges, walking down the road on her way to attend an all-white school. She is flanked by security due to the racial hatred this incited (racial slurs are written on the walls). It became an iconic image of the Civil Rights Movement. Then-US President Barack Obama had it put on display when he met Bridges at the White House in 2011.
Expression of people power
In 1979, a famous photo of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and German Democratic Republic counterpart Erich Honecker was taken. The two were depicted in a socialist fraternal kiss (made on the lips if two leaders consider themselves particularly close).
Dmitri Vrubel chose to paint this image onto the Berlin Wall, accompanied by the controversial epithet. As the most famous part of the East Side Gallery, where murals are displayed on the remaining parts of the Berlin Wall, the painting, My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love, is a symbol of how art can be an expression of people power—a power that can change the direction of politics.
By nurturing creative excellence and supporting broad audience engagement, our diverse and distinctive arts inspire our people, connect communities and profile Kenya globally.
We must preserve our rich, cultural traditions as we cultivate accomplished artists and vibrant companies for the future. Talanta Hela Council should seek greater private and corporate giving to and through the arts, to make the arts an integral part of everyone’s life.
Mr Ooro, society, arts and culture news journalist, is a 2023 Unesco Youth Essay Contest finalist. @OoroGeorge
