Three Kenyan Artists from Kibera to Visit Japan; Artist-in-Residence Presentation in Tokyo on May 30

Specific Non-Profit Organization Shift Eighty (Koto-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director: Migi Sakata) has planned a photography and video exhibition titled "The World Seen from Kibera 'Slum' — From Being Spoken About to Speaking for Myself. —" currently being held at Art Center BUG (operated by Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.) from April 25 to May 31, 2026. Three Kenyan artists exhibiting in this exhibition are now confirmed to visit Japan.

The visiting artists are photographer Sir.jeree, and filmmakers Frankline Olando and Vin Sekani. On Saturday, May 30, 2026, the final week of the exhibition, a presentation of the results from the artist-in-residence program, conducted in conjunction with this exhibition, will be held at Art Center BUG.

Key Visual: The World Seen from Kibera 'Slum' — From Being Spoken About to Speaking for Myself.

About the three visiting artists:

This exhibition features over 100 photographic and video works by 12 artists living in Kibera, a massive slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Three of these artists will be visiting Japan. Kibera has historically been "spoken about," photographed by external media and artists. Now, the artists from Kibera will stand in Tokyo on their own feet and speak about their works in their own voices. The exhibition's theme, "From Being Spoken About to Speaking for Myself," will be embodied even more strongly, transcending distance and time.

Sir.jeree (Jeremiah Onyango) | Photographer

Exhibits the work 'SASA WAKATI ULE', meaning "Now / That Time" in Swahili. He has continuously documented Kibera for six years, and in recent years, he volunteered for three years at an elderly daycare center, listening to the untold stories of "aging." He calls himself a "translator" and positions his work as connecting Kibera with the outside world.

SASA WAKATI ULE series SASA WAKATI ULE series

Frankline Olando | Filmmaker

Exhibits short films 'ANGRY HUNGER', 'BOI', 'UKO POA'. He entered the film world as an actor in 2019, and when the director of his group was unavailable, he wrote scripts, gathered actors, and filmed himself, marking his start as a filmmaker. While continuing to create with limited equipment, including mobile phones, he documents the realities of Kibera, such as femicide and youth unemployment, through the power of storytelling.

ANGRY HUNGER announcement visual BOI announcement visual

Vin Sekani (Vincent Oroko) | Filmmaker

Exhibits the short film 'Objects On The Mirror May Look Closer Than They Are'. Having participated as a model in a SHIFT80 shoot during high school, he wanted to "understand the person taking the pictures, not just be the one being photographed." He became a photographer after participating in KIBERACTION, a project involving camera donations and lectures from Japan, held in April 2025. The works displayed in this exhibition were created using a camera borrowed from Japan.

Objects On The Mirror May Look Closer Than They Are announcement visual Objects On The Mirror May Look Closer Than They Are in-film cut

Related Event / Artist-in-Residence Presentation

The three visiting artists will engage in new photography and production activities as part of their artist-in-residence program during their stay. The results of these activities will be presented at Art Center BUG during the final week of the exhibition.

"Artist-in-Residence Presentation"

Date: Saturday, May 30, 2026, 19:00-20:30

Venue: Art Center BUG (1F, GranTokyo South Tower, 1-9-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

Speakers: Sir.jeree (Photographer) / Frankline Olando (Filmmaker) / Vin Sekani (Filmmaker)

MC: Migi Sakata

Details and Application: https://crawl-sakata-2026-0530.peatix.com/

Cooperation for Artist-in-Residence | K's House Co., Ltd.

K's House Logo

Accommodation for this artist-in-residence program is supported by K's House Co., Ltd.
K's House is a hostel group with the concept of "comfortable, convenient, and affordable accommodation for travelers." Since opening in Kyoto in 2003, when hostels were not yet common in Japan, they have expanded to Hakuba, East.