Thandiwe Muriu

Since the age of 14, Thandiwe Muriu has been passionate about photography. Growing up in Kenya in an artistic family with a stylist sister and a talented pianist, she perfected her technique with inspiration from Vogue magazine during her teenage years. Encouraged by one of her sisters, she took up creative portraiture, taking advantage of the boom in social networking. Her talent was quickly noticed online, enabling her to land her first commission as a young talent.

At a time when photography was predominantly male-dominated, Thandiwe Muriu studied at business school while working alongside renowned photographers such as Mutua Matheka and Emmanuel Jambo. After graduating, she devoted herself entirely to fashion photography and, at the age of 23, signed her first contract for an international campaign.

Determined to highlight the natural beauty of black women, Thandiwe seeks to represent the criteria of black female beauty often absent from magazine covers. Her compositions highlight black skin and Afro hairstyles, recalling the glorious past of African empires through brightly colored fabrics. 

Thandiwe Muriu aims to be a role model for Kenya's new generation of committed women. Her “Camo" series (2015) is a defining step in her artistic approach, marking her ability to create surreal illusions without recourse to digital manipulation, using vibrant textiles and common household items. Through her art, she confronts issues of identity and self-perception, redefining the empowerment of African women.

In a career spanning just three years, Thandiwe Muriu's work has found its way into many major private and public collections, testifying to her atypical artistic journey and her significant impact on the world of photography.