Kyalo
I met Kyalo the Kenyan fisherman late one afternoon while staying by the balmy lagoon in Kilifi. It was nearly dinner time, so my friend and I strolled to the nearby beach to buy some fish.
During my stay I had been struck by the extreme contrast I saw between the poverty and simplicity that locals lived with and the affluence I saw every day in London.
As soon as I saw Kyalo, a short man with tattered clothes and strong eyes that betrayed his struggle, holding the huge mahi-mahi fish that he had just caught, I felt I had to capture him on canvas.
Over the course of the following year I painted this 6ft portrait in oils, seeking to convey what I felt had defined Kyalo’s character and that of the locals, especially the calm strength tinged with sadness I had seen in his face.
I decided on a full body portrait, including the giant fish and my friend’s dog sniffing at his sandy feet to better convey his life situation and the moment of our encounter. I also chose a uniform dark background to attract the viewer’s attention to these key features.
