About

” I create paintings that capture meditative emotional states and the dynamics between our spiritual hopes, and what is expected from the physical world. The fragments of light in my work are meant to inspire and catalyse us to keep on improving our inner selves”

My Biography

Nimrod Hanai is a Tanzanian self-taught visual artist, who uses abstract painting to explore the complexities of human perception of reality. My passion for painting started since childhood. After completing a contemporary art course at the Art School (Academia d’Arte) in the Michelangelo Institute in Florence, Italy, I began expanding my abstract practice.

My work consist of a signature painting style which combine fragments of light and darkness, and fragments of space and time; which allow the viewer to experience them as a metaphor to the dynamics between the spiritual mind and the physical world.

I’m currently a full-time artist living and working in Zanzibar  and Nairobi, Kenya. My work has been exhibited at various solo and group exhibitions in Tanzania, Kenya, China, Netherlands and Spain. My first solo show titled “Catalyst” was debuted at the Alliance Francaise of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in 2019.

MY STORY AT A GLANCE
I was born in Singida in 1983. I've been artistically active for as long as i can can remember. During my school years, and even during my business studies, I used every free minute to paint. Working in a bank didn't suit me and art held a magnetic attraction....

My early paintings were realistic and landscapes. This soon proved insufficient for me to express my feelings and views. I reached a turning point, forcing himself to find new forms of expression that would evoke a mood through color, texture, and form. I stumbled upon abstraction, although initially lacking much expertise. To compensate, i enrolled in a course on contemporary techniques at the Michelangelo Institute in Florence. After much practice and research, this led to a new style.

My best friend isn’t the brush, but the palette knife, which i use to mix and apply my paints from the tube. My main interest lies in the contrast between light and dark colors. “I use oil and acrylic paints on the canvas and abstractly express the complexity of human perception of reality. My style combines fragments of light and dark colors and snippets of space and time that captivate the viewer. I use this contrast to describe the dynamic between what we desire and what we actually experience in everyday life. Ultimately, the vibrant colors should inspire us and encourage us to continue developing despite limitations or challenges.” From these transitions, a new path has emerged, allowing me to use modern techniques to create paintings from an African perspective that are half abstract, half realistic.

My artistic philosophy is to look inward rather than outward. I skillfully combines colors and shades to create expressive forms. I draw inspiration from the way ordinary, everyday life unfolds. May work says, “To bring life into balance, light and darkness come together to create a contrast. I paint for the world, not for myself. I can capture the feeling of joy, not just for myself, but for everyone when they see the work I have created