2015.
Chromogenic colour print.
120 x 150 cm.
Osborne Macharia‘s storyline revolves around the Mau Mau movement, which began in 1959 during Kenya’s struggle for Independence. Militant activists revolted against British colonialism, its policies, and its local supporters. Although defeated, their rebellion set in motion Kenya’s freedom from colonial rule. In 2015, a memorial was erected funded by the British government to commemorate the Mau Mau fighters, thereby acknowledging the brutality of this anti-colonial initiative.
Macharia’s fictional Mau Mau warriors belong to a special unit of five opticians who wear special hand-crafted spectacles used to spot the enemy at night.
Macicio: Second Commander Kigotho – The last man standing and only survivor from his previous battalion. He’s always at the back of the group with his specially designed specs that spot the enemy from behind.