This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
The gallery is closed so I built a virtual display room ¶
Published on June 4, 2020
Felix Waweru, a 24-year-old digital artist and software developer, has found a way to escape depression through his art. He has also built a virtual display room to showcase his work, Our Virtual Gallery, which provides upcoming artists with a platform to display their art in a virtual space.
Waweru, who is also known as Whyweru, started his journey in art at a young age. He has been fascinated by computers and software development, and he has successfully managed to juggle his two passions.
He started by creating simple comics using ordinary pencils and posting them on social media. He then transitioned to digital art using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Waweru believes that the process of creating art does not only happen when he is at his desk, but it occurs throughout the day.
He started Whyweru as a pathway to employment after he graduated and struggled to get a job. He built an e-commerce website using his savings worth Sh8,000 and began printing branded clothing for sale. Despite his business being up and running, Waweru is still interested in getting employed, as he believes that working in a reputable organisation could help him learn some useful tricks and methods.
Waweru's journey has had its fair share of challenges, including having his work rejected by curators in art galleries. He has come up with Our Virtual Gallery to provide upcoming artists with a platform to showcase their art in a virtual display room which utilises Instagram's augmented reality.
Waweru plans to grow his business so that he can attract funding from corporates and positively change the lives of others through his community projects.
