Ngendo was one of the first artists I reached out to for the ARTssembly project, and our connection felt both natural and meaningful from the start. I discovered her through a Montreal art sales website, where her work immediately stood out. After a few email exchanges, she called me one Friday afternoon, and what began as a casual conversation quickly turned into something deeper—we spoke about our roots, the stories behind our names, our creative journeys, and her remarkable art, which radiates both power and tenderness.

Ngendo, a multidisciplinary artist originally from Kenya and now based in Quebec, creates work that gracefully bridges the worlds she inhabits—geographically, culturally, and emotionally. Though she humbly described her style as still evolving, it’s this very fluidity that makes her voice so compelling. Her practice is rooted in exploring connections: between people and place, memory and material, the seen and the felt. Through a visual language that ranges from symbolic collage to layered abstraction, Ngendo invites us to witness how seemingly disparate realities—joy and struggle, belonging and longing—can coexist within the same emotional landscape.

Her latest series, Sense of Place, exemplifies this philosophy. Through rhythmic compositions and symbolic layering, Ngendo reflects on how personal and collective histories meet and transform through time and change. Her art invites us to listen—to what is quiet, buried, or still becoming. It asks us not to resolve contradiction, but to dwell within it, and in doing so, discover something beautifully whole.

Thank you so much for our pleasant conversation, Ngendo.

To bring a piece of Ngendo’s rich, resonant world into your own, explore and purchase her artwork here: https://mawuartgallery.com/product/sustenance/

Follow her at:

https://www.instagram.com/ngendostudio/

https://www.facebook.com/ngendostudio/

Here’s her website: https://ngendo.ca/en/home/

Location: Montreal area (Canada)