Artist Profile

Derrick Ibalai (b. 2000) is a Kenyan contemporary artist, designer, and storyteller whose multidisciplinary practice explores themes of humanity, identity, spirituality, and social transformation. Working across painting, drawing, sculpture, design, and installation, he draws inspiration from personal experiences, everyday encounters, and the environments that shape contemporary life. Ibalai’s creative journey began in childhood through comic-strip illustrations inspired by Nairobi’s urban culture, laying the foundation for a practice that continues to blend narrative, imagination, and observation. He studied Art and Design at Kakamega School before completing a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in 2024, an educational background that informs his sensitivity to space, form, and environment. Since 2023, his work has been exhibited across Kenya and internationally, reaching audiences in Uganda, Rwanda, Italy, and the United States. Through a practice grounded in storytelling and reflection, Ibalai creates works that encourage dialogue, foster connection, and engage with the social and spiritual dimensions of contemporary experience.