This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
April Kamunde is a talented artist and painter who recently showcased her work at Book Bunk's gala night, 'A Night at the Library.'
On December 20, 2019, Kamunde spoke with The Daily Nation about her experience exhibiting at the event.
When asked how excited she was to be exhibiting at the gala, Kamunde replied, 'I was extremely excited. I'm a huge fan of the Book Bunk Team and the work they are doing to restore the McMillan libraries.'
She added that the event was a fundraising gala aimed at sharing the progress the team has made and to raise funds for their future plans. One of her paintings was up for auction during the gala dinner.
As a result of the programming, the libraries are no longer just spaces to access books and work on assignments, they are now living and breathing spaces where you can learn new skills, gain access to live entertainment and build networks.
When asked how she handles balancing art and the demands of adulting, Kamunde said, 'It's not easy. You need a lot of discipline. I don't have as much of that as I used to.'
She explained that she used to wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning to work on a painting, but now she focuses on painting on some evenings and puts in more work over the weekends.
As for her artistic style, Kamunde works primarily with oil paints on canvas, which she finds easier to work with than acrylics. She learned to use oil pastels on paper in high school and later experimented with oils, which she found faster to work with.
When asked about her favorite artists, both local and international, Kamunde mentioned Mary Ogembo, Panye, Chela, and Tim Komura, among others. She admires their work for its unique style and ability to make portraiture cool again.
Despite facing artistic slumps, Kamunde has found ways to overcome them by painting pieces of images she likes for herself and as gifts for close friends on special occasions.
