Wuh.ey - “Mlinzi wa Usiku”

From the series: African Fusion
Paper: Hahnemühle Fine Art Archival Print
Sheet size: 60 × 60 cm
Year: Edition of 2025
Edition: 3 + 1 AP

Wuh.ey – “Mlinzi wa Usiku”

Amidst the darkness stands a figure whose presence permeates the night: Mlinzi wa Usiku – "The Guardian of the Night." Clad in a garment of symbols, fur, and shells, she is simultaneously a warrior, shaman, and witness to the times. A heavy staff in her hand, a mask covered, her posture calm and determined – everything about her speaks of ancient authority.

Behind her stands a young man, bareheaded yet curious, as if witnessing a rite of passage he himself doesn't yet understand. Their two worlds collide here—tradition and present, the sacred and the everyday, knowledge and innocence.

The sign "No urination" on the wall seems like a casual commentary on modern life, an ironic counterpoint to the spiritual intensity of the scene. Wuh.ey masterfully plays with contrasts here—between sacredness and profanity, between ritual and street, between dignity and irony.

Mlinzi wa Usiku reminds us that spirituality is not bound to a place. It can shine in the darkness of a backyard—in the presence of someone who is aware of their inner power.