Rasto Cyprian (b. 2001) is a self-taught mixed-media artist based in Nairobi, Kenya, and a graduate of Presbyterian University of East Africa, where he studied Education Arts with a major in English and Literature. Raised in Kibera, his artistic journey began at age twelve through a program at the Uweza Foundation, an NGO supporting youth creativity in his community. After two years of training, he transitioned to canvas painting and continued refining his practice by engaging with local art spaces and artists, including mixed-media artist Onyis Martin. Rasto’s work explores the concept of time and the human ability to revisit and relive past moments, drawing influence from artists such as Francis Bacon and Chuck Close, as well as literature and the Old Italian masters. His creative process is rooted in a reductive method—scrubbing away brush and pencil marks before rebuilding surfaces with stencil and collage—resulting in layered compositions that balance vibrant and muted tones against patterned backgrounds.