From discarded buttons to family portraits: Wanjiku Mwangi's art of reinvention

Once she has collected them, she sorts the buttons by colour before sewing them onto canvas or gluing them onto wooden boards and paper. Completing one artwork can take up to a month because each button is attached by hand.

She started working with buttons in 2019 while studying English Literature at Kenyatta University. Choosing the unconventional medium was a deliberate decision to distinguish her work from that of other artists, many of whom primarily use paint.

“I wanted to be different. I also wanted my art to tell a unique story, so that someone can look at it and immediately feel there is a story here,” she says.

Her artistic journey has evolved throughout the years. She initially painted ladybirds, which she says mean with good fortune, before moving on to colourful roosters. The birds inspired her to explore family life and relationships.

Her current body of work, Family Portrait, personifies hens, roosters and chicks as human families. Rather than depicting the conventional mother-father-child unit, the series explores the many different family structures.

So far, she has completed four works in the series, Family Portrait I through Family Portrait IV. The mixed-media artworks use hundreds of colourful buttons to create portray the birds adorned with vibrant floral elements. The birds are illustrated with human characteristics so that viewers to think about family dynamics through a playful and thought-provoking lens.

Mwangi says her recent work builds on earlier explorations of relationships, including a piece titled Girlhood, which revolves around the bond between two girls. Together with the family series, she also creates smaller, brightly coloured works for collectors who want cheerful, uncomplicated pieces.

Her distinctive use of buttons surprises viewers. From a distance, many assume the works are paintings, only noticing the intricate button details when they move closer. Viewers always ask her how long every piece takes to complete.

“My works are inspired by everyday life through transforming ordinary, discarded objects into colourful, memorable and playful artworks,” she says.