Home Magazine Alpha Odh on Perception as Reality and the Power of Mistakes

Exploring life through colors and light, Kenyan artist Alpha Odh is bringing some of the most breathtaking stories to the surface and is firmly stepping into the international context of visual arts.

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Painter, photographer, and textile artist Alpha Odh (full name – Alphonce Odhiambo) has been creating since 7-8 years old gaining artistic skills and superb art knowledge solely through personal research. Now, his extensive creativity and willingness to actualize art in Kenya make him one of the most prominent contemporary Kenyan artists to follow.

Alpha constructs compositions using various cultural markers and memories, dispersing ideas and philosophical insights that pose an emotional and intellectual challenge to the viewer. Attentive investigation of the current reality of his generation in Kenya blends with a reminiscence of the colonial era. The rich background context does not confine Alpha's artworks to a predefined meaning; the configuration of intertwining elements extends beyond the canvas to the viewer's mind and serves as an invitation to observe the construction of reality.

In 2014, Alpha's exceptional artistry was recognized nationally when he exhibited at the Nairobi National Museum. Since then, he has gained international critical acclaim and has been curated to exhibit in Germany, Spain, Lithuania, and the United States.