Born in Runyenjes, Embu County, John Nyaga, was always fascinated by illustrations in books from his toddler days. Whenever he came across newspapers and magazines, his eyes automatically drifted to the cartoons and drawings on the page.
“I loved visiting my aunt’s house because she had a children’s bible that was filled with drawings. I would look at them for hours.”
During his free time, young Nyaga would recreate the drawings on the ground using a pointed stick. When he joined primary school, he began making sketches at the back of his exercise books. Assignments that involved drawing diagrams were his personal best. He often wondered why other pupils in his class struggled to draw, yet the skill came naturally to him.
All this while, Nyaga never thought of his passion for drawing as something more than a hobby. Worse, he didn’t consider it a talent that ought to be nurtured.
“I didn’t think of my drawings as art because I didn’t know such a thing existed. I had no mentors to give me formal art classes. In fact, some of my teachers castigated me for ‘wasting’ time drawing.”
Over those formative years, Nyaga was socialised to perceive art as good for nothing. Discouragement, especially from his elders become the mantra of his childhood: “Instead of studying like your fellow pupils, you waste time drawing. Where will that take you?”
Still, Nyaga continued to indulge in art albeit discretely, and like all forbidden fruits, his passion got even sweeter. At this point, however, art as a career option was out of the question.
“Every time I thought of being an illustrator, I would quickly brush off the idea. I told myself, other people can be successful artists, but that can never be me.”
Meanwhile, Nyaga was now transitioning to secondary school. His drawing skills had advanced tremendously despite being a self-taught artist. He figured he would continue drawing until the urge wore off now that it seemed pretty clear that nothing would come off his artistic talents.
Then one day he had a chance encounter with a teacher who catapulted his turn of fortune.
“I can’t remember his name but this teacher asked to see some sketches I was working on. He said they were quite impressive. After sharing some theoretical and examinable aspects of art, he asked if I would like to register for art exams as a private candidate. That’s how I sat for an art exam at KSCE level.”
All his life, Nyaga had been made to think his drawings were, at best, foolish waste of time. Yet, here he was being examined at the national level for his art skills. It began to dawn on him that all his naysayers had been dead wrong. This realisation sparked a desire to become an artist and although he didn’t know how to go about it, it no longer seemed impossible.
After completing high school, Nyaga enrolled for a teaching course, which was one of the most popular and accepted career choice then. For years he taught English and Art, though the desire to become a professional artist lingered at the back of his mind. Often, colleagues would fuel that desire by teasing him with statements like “If I was you, I wouldn’t be eating chalk.”
After years of teaching, he finally made the bold decision to become a full-time artist.
“It was safe to quit my job because I had saved up for some time. I knew I would survive for a while without a job.”
In 2001, Nyaga resigned from his teaching job and started looking for opportunities in the art world – a world that was not so welcoming at first. He moved from gallery to gallery showing his samples to anyone who cared to look.
“Unfortunately, those days, people were keen on the name behind the art. I had spent years holed up in a classroom so I didn’t have a well-known name. Art lovers offered very little money for my work and it was quite disheartening.”
After months of searching for opportunities, Nyaga decided to try his luck at Nation Centre. He figured there must have been an artist behind all those cartoons he had seen on newspapers growing up.
Nyaga had dismal hopes as he walked to the security desk to explain himself. To his surprise the security officials allowed him to proceed to the reception where he was further advised to talk to Stano, a renowned illustrator whom Nyaga knew quite well on paper but never dreamt to meet in person. His crushed spirit got resuscitated as he received an entry pass from the guard who directed him to Stano’s desk.
“In a daze, I reached Stano’s desk and showed him my artworks. I had some portrait paintings of public figures. I called them faces of the 20th century, because we had just ushered in the new century.”
Stano was impressed with Nyaga’s work, and their engagement led to an opportunity to work for Nation Media Group.
Cartoonist John Nyaga at his work station at Nation Centre.
Our childhood experiences tend to shape the people we become and painful experiences seemingly make the most indelible impact in our lives. When Nyaga, who was now married and had two sons, Elinoel Gitonga and George Gatai, noticed his boys’ loved to draw, his first instinct was to protect them from the pain art had caused him growing up.
“Life is full of surprises. I never expected my children to have an interest in art. In fact, I was very deliberate not to influence them into drawing. I grew up with one extreme of being shunned for art and I didn’t want to raise my boys with the other extreme of being forced to become artists. I wanted them to follow their unique paths freely, unashamed and with my full support.”
The boys continued to make doodles. Nyaga, bearing in mind that children were quite impressionable, decided to buy them some drawing materials and see if the interest stuck or they were simply imitating daddy.
However, from his teaching experience, Nyaga could tell that their drawing skills were not amateurish. These were artists who needed to be nurtured and he intended to do right by them.
“Eli won a drawing competition on wildlife conservation when he was 13 years old. George on the other hand was exploring pencil and pen art. I could no longer pretend not to see that my sons were budding artists. I decided it was time to step up and support my boys’ art endeavours.”
The realisation opened a new page for Nyaga both as a dad and as an artiste. He was elated to pass on the skills earned over years, with the patience and confidence he sorely missed during his own debut into the world of art.
Although the trio share great enthusiasm for art, their styles are quite distinct. Nyaga leans towards portrait art with an impeccable ability to capture colour and light in his work. He pays a lot of attention to detail and tell complete stories using caricature and illustrations.
Eli, 17, thrives at comic drawing, producing characters that seem to have been plucked straight out of a video game. George, 14, specialises in pen and pencil art, often producing sequels of surreal and dreamlike ink drawings that spark curiosity with their unique components. In one of the drawings displayed during the interview, he uses black ink to draw a vintage radio with muscular legs and arms. The radio’s right arm clings onto the volume button, as if adjusting the sound.
Ink on paper drawing of a vintage radio by George Gatai.
Whilst the boys are inarguably talented and creative, their father has been very instrumental in helping them fine-tune their talents.
“Just the other day, I was taking Eli through a quick lesson on the importance of tonal variation in art. We talked about how to create the illusion of light on a drawing and engage the viewer’s eye while at it. This is just but a random lesson on the principles of art, which one would pay a handsome fee to learn at an established institution. It is a blessing to pass these nuggets to my boys for free, especially in this tough economy.”
Since the cave man days, mankind has had to acquire survival skills, from hunting and gathering to medicine, arithmetic skills, reading and writing. Skills make us relevant. They enable us to earn our place in the society. And it’s for this reason that every parent will strive to educate their child. But is education alone, in today’s competitive world, enough? Apparently not and perhaps this is why the government thought it wise to redefine the education system by introducing the Competency Based Curriculum.
Once upon a time, parents informally trained their children on work skills and when it was time, handed over the family trade tools to these apprentices.
Come modern day education, and the script changed completely. Between increased incomes that empowered parents to afford school fees and imported notions that demonised the mildest house chores as child labour, apprenticeship — a wonderful idea that equipped children with intel on how the bread got buttered — was thrown out of the window.
Yet, in recent CBC times, the allure of handy skills seems to be seeping back to modern society.
From the moment Nyaga discovered that the children’s gifts were not a passing phase, he began to invest his time and resource in teaching them the intricate theories and principles of art such as texture, perspective, colour and balance among others. These are the elements that separate a hobby from professional practice.
He has passed down his skills while allowing them to explore and uncover their unique styles. He admits, these lessons have paid off, both artistically, academically and socially. He is however careful not to overstep or impose his dreams and ideas when training them.
“I’m glad my art was not influenced. My style is pure because I was able to carve my path even though it was a lonely one.”
Nyaga is keen to play a supportive role rather than a lead role. Whether the boys follow their father’s career line or not, he is confident that the art skills have impacted many areas of their life. Nyaga is grateful to have a platform that helps him transfer import skills to his sons.
“Art is about problem solving. You’re handed a blank piece of paper and you are supposed to develop something on it. That is the same way life hands you a blank canvas. Art equips you to deal with life itself.”
Career development is no longer about replicating the textbook ideas that have been in existence since time immemorial. Creativity is what different industries need and if children can be equipped with basic skills from a young age, they would learn to innovate and think outside the box by the time they launch their careers. Children have the advantage of time. They can make mistakes, learn from them and perfect their practice over time.
The children’s mother, Diana Nyaga, happens to be their greatest fan.
“We have benefited from this art. I am glad that my husband gets to do something he enjoys. This job has no retirement, that is an added bonus. As for the boys, bonding with their dad has helped them look to the future with confidence. They know what they want to be and are aware of their options. During my days, we picked the most popular career. No one was keen to find out your interests. I, for instance dreamt of working as a news anchor. But that is a story for another day.”
Nyaga’s final word to parents is to “Let nature take its course. Find out what your child is interested in and expose them to forms of their interests and guide them along their chosen path. Children are like sponges; they can absorb skills very fast. If their interests are different from your, take time to learn their interests and create opportunities for them to learn.”
John Nyaga and his two sons, Elinoel (right) and George have a mutual interest in art.
So, are Eli and George hoping to be the next newspaper cartoonists? Not exactly.
“My dad’s story inspires me a lot. Growing up, he lacked the support to help him blossom at an early age. Nevertheless, he has achieved his dream. My passion is in performing arts. I hope to get into film and acting. Drawing with my dad and brother has helped me get transferable skills such as creativity, discipline and focus,” says George.
On the other hand, Eli is aspiring to be an architect. Like George, he believes the transferable skills will carry him through the corporate world.
“One of the biggest lessons I have learnt from dad is the idea of appreciating the process. Art is never about, just completing a project. It’s about immersing myself in the process. It is about giving my best.”
Additionally, the boys are grateful for the support they receive at school for their art.
“Dad tells us how he was shamed for drawing a lot. At our school, the teachers put up the best artworks on the noticeboard for the entire school to enjoy. It feels good to see my drawings up there, it is quite a boost to my confidence,” says Eli.
For Nyaga, supporting his sons’ passion has been a way to break the cycle of shaming and stifling children’s potential. He believes that children can rise to great heights as long as they feel appreciated and supported to become the best versions of themselves.
“By sharing my story, I hope a parent somewhere will be inspired to see the greatness of their child’s talent and nurture it.” BY DAILY NATION