Remixing and acts of improvisation are the central elements of the work of Agnes Waruguru. Working predominantly with everyday materials, with particular attention to materials that carry connotations of familiarity and domestic life, Waruguru builds up compositions whose thrust comes from the intimate connection that these materials bare in the personal lives that yielded them. Her work makes use of repetitive, iterative acts of creation and mark making – crocheting, knitting, sewing, and embroidery – whose nature marks the passing of time.
“When making these works, I always feel like more could happen. It’s like holding your breath. The work could surprise you. Not all the space is taken up so there is enough room to feel things moving and also for the work to continue extending itself. I want to create a feeling of being suspended, of being in the middle of something.”
Waruguru received a B.F.A. in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA in 2017. She has participated in residencies at the Rijksakademie van beldeende Kunsten in Amsterdam, ArtSpace Sydney, Saba Artists Residency in Lamu, VideoBrasil Biennial Artists Residency in Boicucanga, Brazil. Waruguru participated in the inaugural edition of the Stellenbosch Triennale, South Africa, 2020. She has been nominated for the Volkskrant Beeldende Kunst Prijs 2022, at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. She Participated in the 22nd Edition of the Videobrasil Biennial in São Paulo. Waruguru is currently showing in the 60th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, Foreigners Everywhere.
