Rahab Njambi

“Get a decent job”, her father is still today arguing! - though it’s more than 17 years ago that Rahab started painting. To become an artist is a difficult choice for most people in Kenya, but for a woman the challenge is even bigger.

Even now Rahab is the only female artist in PostArt Nairobi. She is 36 years old and lives with her husband and their 4 children in the outskirt of Nairobi.

‘Painting is all that I can do,’ says Rahab. I have tried working in an office, but that didn’t work out well. Luckily her husband is an artist too. Together they run Banana Hill Art Studio, which is an alternative gallery for young artists who have not yet had their break through. They support the youth in their choice to be an artist and give advice  both on art related issues and on problems with their families - who do not understand why they don´t  just get a ‘normal’ job. When she eventually sells one of her paintings she saves money to buy paintings from one of the young artists. Her dream is to establish Banana Hill as an art museum for the alternative art scene of Nairobi.

Rahab is by far the most established artist in PostArt Nairobi. She has a very distinct style and builds up her paintings in deep and colourful layers and finally adds simple motifs.