Kenyan artist uses eggshells to make art

An artist in Kenya is using eggshells to create intricate pieces of art. 

The idea came to him as he was looking for materials to use in his paintings.

"I get my raw materials from dump sites, from five-star hotels, and sometimes from vendors, and then I bring them to the studio, then I clean them, then I paint them in different colours, I cut them with a scalpel to form straight lines and particular patterns. I use a particular pattern, mostly triangles, then I arrange them with a toothpick on my art pieces. Most people think when they see it (the art pieces, Ed.) first, they think it is paper or plastic, but when I tell them it's eggshells they are like wow! Real patience, so it's like engaging people in my work, making people come closer, making people look into more details. And also, I think it also makes people look at other arts and all the arts differently", said 22-year old, Mika Obanda. 

The artist is part of an artists collective in Nairobi. His woks are inspired by the streets of his neighbourhood as well as his mother.

"I am inspired by my streets and mostly my mother, and I try to also capture the women power because I have been raised by a single mother, so I try to capture different moments where she used to be so loving, so caring, and also how she used to work hard, so as to pay for my fees and my sibling's fees", concluded the artist. 

Aside from art exhibitions, Mika sells his artworks through social media platforms.
His current prices range from US$50 to US$800.

Most of his clients are in Europe, the US and Kenya.