Pamoja at Ceysson & Bénétière | stellarhighway

In support of the Peter Beard exhibition, The Scheme of Things, on view now at 956 Madison Avenue, Ceysson & Bénétière and Stellarhighway have collaborated to bring together the works of Peter Beard and the Pamoja collective of Kenya for the first time.Pamoja is a collective of eight self-taught Kenyan artists who were frequent collaborators of the legendary photographer Peter Beard in illustrating his work for over four decades (1968-2017). Its members are Elizaphanson Mwangi Kuria Gibson, Nathaniel Kivoi Philip Mathenge, Gabriel Macharia Mwangi, Gibson Kuria Mwangi, Macharia Mwangi, Solomon Misigo Mugasia, Nicholas Njenga Mutarin, and Peter Marimbe Parsimei. Although their individual and collective artistic pursuits differ formally, all revolve around themes of wildlife and environmental conservation, are keenly observed, and display deep knowledge of craft. Pamoja—Swahili for “together”—is an effort by its members to continue their passion for making, and to embolden makers like themselves who are often overlooked, buried or dismissed in the pages of art history.Three of the members will have work on view through May 9, 2026:Elizaphanson Mwangi Kuria Gibson (b. 1945; Muranga County, Kenya), also known as “Mzee Mwangi” (Elder Mwangi), began making art in primary school. He later moved on to an intermediate school and studied bookkeeping at an Asian college. However, Mzee Mwangi was disenchanted by this career path and, in 1961, switched to a program at an interracial public high school in Nairobi. Upon graduation Mzee declined illustrator positions at local and state newspapers, preferring to instead work as a carpenter. His carpentry skills attracted the attention of legendary photographer Peter Beard, who owned a ranch (“Hog Ranch”) in the countryside, and he was initially hired to build and repair tents and other structures. Later, when Beard noticed his art skills, Mzee Mwangi was appointed as one of the first painters to embellish the borders of Beard’s large-scale black and white prints. Mzee Mwangi’s work revolves around wildlife and nature, and he often incorporates dotting as a technique. He refers to his works as “imagination art,” where he dreams and creates what he sees. His career has impacted members of his sphere, including mentoring two of his sons (Gibson Kuria Mwangi, Macharia Mwangi), and his work is represented in prominent private collections of art around the world.Peter Marimbe Parsimei (b. 1978, Rongai, Kajiando County, Kenya) collaborated with artist Peter Beard at Hog Ranch from 1999 to 2011. Marimbe was first introduced to painting by Mzee Mwangi, his neighbor. Watching the elder work lit a creative spark within him, and he was approached by Mzee and his son Maina, Marimbe’s friend, to work with Beard at Hog Ranch. Twenty-three years on Marimbe maintains that art is his life, his top priority, and that making is always on his mind. The artist’s work targets themes of conservation and the environment.Nicholas Njenga Mutarin (Kenyan, b. 1981; Rongai, Kajiando County, Kenya) recalls that he first started making drawings at St. Mary’s Karen Primary School in Nairobi. After leaving school, he worked as a graphic designer creating signage for kiosks and other local businesses. Knowing his talent, two of Mutarin’s friends (Peter Marimbe Parsimei and Gibson Kuria Mwangi) introduced him to Mzee Mwangi who was working at Peter Beard’s Hog Ranch, and Beard hired him in 2002. Mutarin’s work seeks to portray the beauty of nature through suggested narrative. His creative career has taught him the value of patience, which has guided him throughout his life: he states that, “there is no separating me and my art; my life is art,” and he adds that “art has the ability to speak to people and I speak through my art”.On their individual accord and through their contributions to Beard’s studio, the collective’s skill is represented in prominent public and private collections of art around the world. Their work has been shown previously under their own names at Stellarhighway, Brooklyn, NY; Affirmation Arts in New York, NY; and, the Outsider Art Fair, New York, NY. Pamoja has been published in Harper's Magazine, The New York Times, and twice in The Art Newspaper. The members are currently scattered across Kenya, but they have outfitted a joint studio in Nairobi from which they work to bring art into the surrounding community.