John MaIna

John Maina is a Kenyan visual artist based in Nairobi whose work explores urban life, emotion, and the social realities of everyday experience. Self-taught, he works primarily with acrylic while incorporating techniques such as image transfers and newsprint to build layered compositions. Since 2023, he has been using discarded cardboard as a surface, transforming waste materials into textured works that reflect patterns of consumption and raise awareness around recycling. Drawing from the rhythms of Nairobi, his paintings capture both the energy and tension of city life. Through ongoing series such as Hustlers of Nairobi, Maina reflects on socio-economic structures and the lived experiences that shape them, creating work that feels immediate, reflective, and rooted in place.