Expression in Art

The ability to express yourself through different media is a blessing indeed and something worth celebrating. I visited an art centre in Nairobi recently and witnessed the various creative displays around the compound, as well as a few artists at work with their tools. It was like being in a world where language is no longer just mere words but more about what you can see and how you see it. I admit I wasn’t excited about all that I saw, but some of the work provoked me to wonder what was going on in the artist's mind.

These artists were expressing themselves in different ways through various media. Their concern was getting out what was inside their hearts and minds without worrying about whether anyone will like it or not. In art we find freedom of expression; a freedom that is precious and constitutes a universal space that brings together different races, cultures, backgrounds and ways of life. Every artist has access to that space and contributes into it his/her own version of creativity, reminding us that self-expression is another beauty of art.

Self-expression can be used as a tool for good or bad influence. We have already seen that we always express what is inside of us into the outer world. The next question we need to consider is, how are we building what is inside of us? What are we made of? Just as houses are made up of different materials, we too are a product of various inputs into our lives. Whatever we fill our everyday lives with will eventually appear in our work as the fruit of seeds sown. Our art then becomes an extension of who we are on the inside – the fruit of time spent on whatever has been the focus of our attention and thoughts. It is a simple thing yet profound in its impact because art touches people and affects the way we think and feel. We can use art to get into people's minds and influence them in the direction we choose. Our freedom to express ourselves becomes the freedom to influence the world around us, and that influence can be positive or negative.