Lemmy Maigua’s story unfolds far from conventional paths. As a student at the University of Nairobi and a Liu Shiming Scholarship recipient, he has built his artistic foundation with his own hands—literally. His journey speaks of persistence, experimentation, and a deep connection to his roots. Each project, each medium, and each collaboration reveals a deliberate act of learning and creating.
Beginnings in Simple Materials
Lemmy's earliest experiments began with sketches, expanding into jewelry design and
small craftwork. As his interest deepened, he moved to sculpture and ceramics, where he
found a medium that allowed him to think in three dimensions. Clay, with its pliability,
became his chosen material. It allowed him to mold his thoughts into physical form, but
he didn’t stop there. He carved into wood and shaped metal, seeking textures and forms that spoke to him in different ways.
In his first university exhibition, Lemmy showcased a clay sculpture inspired by African folklore. A professor pointed out that the piece could engage more with light. Lemmy revisited the work, rearranging its placement under the exhibition lamps until the shadows brought out the dynamic tension he had envisioned. It wasn’t just a moment of adjustment; it became a lesson about how light interacts with form, a lesson he carried forward into every piece thereafter.
Learning in the Gaps
Where formal education stopped, Lemmy’s curiosity filled the space. He taught himself techniques through YouTube videos, tested methods through trial and error, and built his
own processes from fragments of knowledge. It wasn’t smooth. One of his first ceramic
works cracked in the kiln because he hadn’t accounted for firing temperatures. Instead of
discarding the piece, he used the fragments to study glaze reactions and stress points in
clay. These errors became the scaffolding of his expertise.
“Every mistake rewrites the process,” he says. “You just keep rewriting.”
This approach—unstructured but persistent—shapes his practice. Lemmy moves not in straight lines but through loops of discovery, each iteration deepening his understanding of material and form.
Lemmy’s throwing process of making clay works.
Rooted in African Traditions
Lemmy’s work pulls heavily from African sculptural practices. He studies the symbols
and forms of both Kenyan and wider African art, absorbing their narratives. Tree
structures and human figures appear often in his sculptures, each piece exploring the
tension between permanence and transformation. For Lemmy, these forms are not merely aesthetic: they embody cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.
In his ceramics, he blends tradition with utility, creating functional objects that carry cultural significance. A recent series of clay vessels, inspired by traditional water pots, used minimal glazing to highlight the textures of the clay. These weren’t objects for display; they were meant to be held, used, and lived with.
Lemmy’s clay works from throwing method after glazing.
Impact of the Liu Shiming Scholarship
The Liu Shiming Scholarship provided more than financial support; it opened doors to
new dialogues. Lemmy found inspiration in Liu’s ability to merge traditional Chinese aesthetics with contemporary practices. Liu’s sculptures, which balance cultural specificity with universal themes, resonated deeply with Lemmy’s own artistic goals.
“Liu’s work doesn’t separate the old from the new,” Lemmy reflects. “It folds them together into something alive.”
The scholarship also gave him the means to experiment more freely. He began incorporating new techniques, combining clay and wood in ways that challenged his previous understanding of structure.
A Future Built on Experimentation
Lemmy’s journey continues as an evolving conversation with materials, traditions, and
people. He doesn’t see himself settling into one way of working. Instead, he wants to
keep layering ideas—traditional and modern, functional and abstract. His dream is to
create a space where others can experiment too, a workshop for young artists to explore without fear of failure.
For Lemmy, art isn’t about perfection or finality. It’s about motion—about shaping and
reshaping, learning and unlearning. It’s the act of taking clay, wood, or metal, and asking,
“What else can this become?”
For more information about the Liu Shiming Scholarship and the recipients, please visit the Liu Shiming Art Foundation website.
Written and interviewed by: Chirui Cheng
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