Making his mark, an artist who finds a terrible beauty

'Birth Place lll' by Shabu Mwangi.

'Birth Place lll' by Shabu Mwangi. PHOTO | FRANK WHALLEY

Smearing and dragging paint on canvas and board, Shabu Mwangi exposes his soul.

His previous practice, which earned him recognition as one of Kenya’s most exciting — and driven — artists, focused on the violence inherent in society and its manifestations of inequality and despair.