WISE TWO
Bhupi Jethwa who is widely recognized as WiseTwo, is a Kenyan Multi-Disciplinary Artist. His journey into the world of street art and graffiti started in the streets of Nairobi, mainly in the high-density areas of Kibera and Jericho. The name WiseTwo was self-given, a breakdown from the word wisdom but still humble hence the two, in reference to “not everyone can be the Wise One.” I am somewhat a master of Critical Studies, pure experience from participation and observation for nearly 13 years now. In 2012 WiseTwo commenced his nomadic journey around the world taking his art to over 15 countries and currently he is located in Nairobi, Kenya. Wisetwo’s curious nature and urge to explore and discover more has allowed him to create a strong bridge between art worlds, from more traditional approaches to contemporary art influences he has been able to create a plethora of work, from collages, watercolors and paintings to large scale murals, thus creating a universal thread that runs through all the masks he paints and creating a connection that holds humanity together. In that venture one can see the personal quest, a tug of war between ancient worlds and newer ones, a creation of harmony between the intricate choice of color palettes and masks that carry an entire universe. Each artwork invokes a feeling of psychedelic trance, a premise for important questions about Life, existence, culture, race, ideas, wisdom, knowledge, representation, identity, inclusion and more. This all serves to reinforce his narratives and perspectives of balance, a world based on impulse and meditation, one with joy and pain, language and symbols, art and science, life and death, hence giving the viewer a chance of contemplation and why we exist on this earth. WiseTwo’s artworks adorn massive wall spaces across the globe, some paintings are held in private collections and others in intimate site-specific locations. Today his artwork can be found in several private and public collections including: Converse Head Offices in Mexico City, Mexico, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya, Michael Goldstein Law Offices, Los Angeles, California, USA, United Nations, Zurich, Switzerland, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Nairobi, Kenya, Glenfiddich Whisky.
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WiseTwo’s artwork takes a critical view of social and cultural issues. Often referencing ancient civilizations and the invisible connection between people and cultures, through intricate color palettes and symmetrical shapes and forms that create a universe of masks. Having engaged subjects as diverse as ancient languages, scripts, shamanic mask rituals and dying tribes, WiseTwo’s work reproduces familiar visual and aural signs, arranging them into new conceptually layered murals and paintings. While he uses a mix of acrylic, ink and spray paint in his artistic processes his methodology remains consistent. During his research and production new areas of interest arise and leads to the next body of work.
