Kenyan, b. 1983; lives and works in Berlin, Germany
Mimi Cherono Ng'ok's photographs are a visual diary of the experiences and emotions emerging from her itinerant life produced during her travels across the African continent and the globe, as well as in her hometown of Nairobi. With subtle gradations in color, delicate forms, and the play of sunlight and shade, Cherono Ng'ok coaxes the viewer to consider the quotidian from a more contemplative perspective, conjuring nostalgia and melancholia through calm street scenes or glimpses of domestic interiors. Against this backdrop, the portrait occupies a unique space in which the connection between subject and photographer is deeply intimate, open, and honest. In the direct gaze of a sister laying prone, or the comfortable grin of a friend, these images amplify the closeness of the photographer, rather than distancing her from her subjects.
