Clavers Odhiambo: Art pays

At only 22 years, this University of Nairobi design student has the world at his grip with his photorealistic paintings which are so well done that they seem to trick the eye.

Clavers Odhiambo was accidentally tricked into joining art class when he was in Form Two at Kabaa High School by his then art teacher.

Speaking to Buzz, he admits that his art teacher Joel Kasyoka approached his parents and other teachers at his school after word went round that he was a good artist.

“I liked drawing and I never thought that one day any of my paintings will be a gift to a president!” he exclaims.

“When the president of Seychelles was in Kenya recently, the Foreign Affairs office called me and asked me what I had, after showing them they then picked one as gift to the president,” he said.

Asked if he’s ever met President Uhuru Kenyatta, he said no but he was happy that he appreciated his work.

In 2013, Odhiambo took his time in improving his skills, thanks to the internet and exposure to different artistes.

“I used to go to the cyber cafe and just teach myself more about drawing.”

HUMAN NATURE

He was inspired by artistes whose works look photographic, with the skill to get the image as realistic to the eye as possible on canvas.

He started off with pencil drawings in high school and was very good with lines and proportions. He then moved on to acrylic on paper and after a while opted to move to canvas.

“I did my first canvas painting in October 2013, and since I did it, the reaction I got from people who love art told me that I was on the right track and that people now knew the name Clavers Odhiambo,” he adds.

He says that he loves working with human subjects and that he likes working with a series of connected art works instead of random pieces.

“This gives me the identity as someone who can connect the artwork to you without having you there,” he says.

His current project is working on a series of art works about the 42 tribes in Kenya which he hopes to have in his first ever solo exhibition in December 2017 at the National Museum.

“It will be an exhibition of realism and hyper realism depicting all of Kenya’s 42 tribes,” he said.

He has hosted two successful joint exhibitions; Graphite and Colour 2015 with Elsardt Kigen and The Red Exhibition 2016 with Richard Njogu.He has also participated in at least 23 art exhibitions within and beyond Kenya most notably Wasanii Jukwaani by Villa Rosa Kempinski, Barclays L’atelier Competition 2016,Eroticism and Intimacy 2016 and El Sistema Exhibition 2015.

Odhiambo prefers to share his work at exhibitions or have it commissioned. He recently moved from Railway Museum and opened his own studio in Pangani, Nairobi.

He admits that art pays and it takes him four to 10 days to complete a painting.

Most of his work costs between Sh25,000 to Sh200,000 depending on the size.