The gallery is closed so I built a virtual display room

Art is powerful. It shouts about the things we say only in whispers. Whenever you need to pass a message, a single piece of art might suffice. But did you know that artists sometimes send out cries for help using their pieces?

Meet Felix Waweru, alias Whyweru. Using photos of people or objects, he seeks to recreate reality by evoking fantastical, surreal feelings. Art is his foolproof means of escaping depression.

The 24-year-old is a digital artist and software developer, and he has successfully managed to juggle his two passions.

“I got involved in computer coding when I joined university to study informatics. I have always been fascinated by computers, and this is what led me to take an undergraduate course in software development. I ended up loving it!” he explains.

Yet his love for art begun a long while before he discovered computers.

“I have been in love with art for as long as I can remember. It was my hobby until a few years ago when I decided to post my artworks on Instagram,” he explains.

“I started with simple comics that I would draw using ordinary pencils before posting them every week on social media. Within no time, I started getting positive feedback from my audience which eventually grew exponentially.

“After that, I started experimenting with paintings, primarily using water colours, and then I transitioned to digital art using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe illustrator,” he says.

Felix believes that the process of creating art does not only happen when he is at his desk. It occurs throughout the day. He starts by conceiving an idea, then he creates a rough sketch or collage. After that, he searches the internet for images to complement his sketches as he gets the required ingredients ready for his next masterpiece.

Unemployment remains a serious problem in Kenya, and Felix decided to deal with it in his own way. He opted to try and earn a living by combining his software development skills and his passion for art, with entrepreneurship.

“I started Whyweru as a pathway to employment. After I graduated, I really struggled to get a job. So many times I sent out my CVs through emails whose subject read “Urgent” or “Emergency” just to increase my chances of getting a response. It did not work. I remained jobless for a long while, and it is while idle and frustrated that I decided to focus on building a career in the arts. So I started by coming up with the moniker Whyweru,” he says.

“After that, I built an e-commerce website using my savings worth Sh8,000. As a developer, having multiple software projects under your belt gives you competitive advantage when job hunting. I soon realised that my project could enhance my resume while at the same time allowing me to showcase my work to a larger audience,” he says

Now that he had a platform to showcase his skills as a software developer and his bubbling creativity as an artist, Felix began printing branded clothing for sale. Because he had limited funds, he requested customers to place orders and pay up in advance.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that his business is up and running. Felix is still interested in getting employed.

 “I am just starting out. Working in a reputable organisation could help me learn some useful tricks and methods that I can employ to excel.”

His journey, as expected, has had its fair share of challenges.

“The biggest challenge I’m currently facing is having my work rejected by curators in art galleries. Digital art is a relatively new concept especially in Kenya, and it is quite difficult to convince them to display the novel art pieces.” he says.

It is this fact that has also driven him to come up with a project called our Our Virtual Gallery which provides upcoming artists with a platform to showcase their art in a virtual display room which utilises Instagram’s augmented reality. It also aims to share artworks from different artists during this lockdown when many public spaces, such as art galleries, have been closed.

“Artists can submit their work through a page on my website and once selected, their work will be added onto the virtual gallery. Anyone with an Instagram profile can then visit our page and use the filters I create to place orders or just view 3D renders of the art submissions,” he says.

The darkest part in his journey, he says, was while he was in university. He battled depression and this affected his studies. He found himself having to graduate a year late.

But he received immense support from his family, which helped him overcome depression. He says that he plans to make up for lost time by putting even more effort in all his endeavours.

“The availability of the internet has fueled the growth of digital artistry, and I hope that curators will soon begin to accept and display products of digital artists like me.

“I also plan to grow my business so that I can attract funding from corporates. I believe that with proper support, I will be able to share my knowledge and positively change the lives of others through my community projects,” he concludes.