His story gained attention through the C-Stunners series, which began when he broke his father's glasses at a young age. The series is a sculpture collection featuring eyewear designs crafted from discarded materials Kabiru collected from the city streets and dumps. By photographing himself wearing these wearable sculptures and exhibiting these portraits alongside the sculptures, Kabiru references his own past, especially his relationship with his father. The C-Stunners series combines the values of traditional African crafts with a futuristic aesthetic, inviting viewers to reflect on different ways of seeing and being seen. In this respect, Kabiru is recognized as one of the pioneers of the "Afrofuturism" movement. Another notable series by Kabiru, "Black Mamba," draws attention to the decreasing use of bicycles in the city and the rapidly changing consumer habits in today's world.
Cyrus Kabiru (b. 1984, Nairobi) began his art career in 2007 at the Kuona Trust Art Center in Nairobi, Kenya, which is known for its support and development programs for artists. He gained international recognition, particularly with his C-Stunners series, starting in 2011. His works have been exhibited at prestigious venues such as the Saatchi Gallery in London, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, and the Seoul Museum of Art in Korea. Additionally, Kabiru`'`s work has featured in important art events such as the Venice Biennale and the Johannesburg Art Fair. The artist works across various disciplines, including sculpture, photography, video installation, and his works are included in many prestigious institutions and private collections such as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), the Tiroche DeLeon Collection, Studio Museum, Lemaitre Collection, Han Nefkens H+F Collection, Helena Fernandino & Emilio Pi Collection, Saatchi & Abel Collection, The Royal Portfolio Collection (Cape Town, South Africa), Ethard Foundation, and The Met Museum. Kabiru currently lives and continues his work in Nairobi, Kenya.
Awards and Residencies
2019 Africa First Residency by Serge Tiroche in collaboration with START Incubator Project, Israel.
2018 Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) Artist in Residence Programme, Segera Retreat, Laikipia, Kenya.
2016 Fundació Han Nefkens Artist in Residence, Barcelona, Spain.
2013 TED Fellowship Residency, TED Talks Conference: The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered, Los Angeles, USA.
2010 Maker Faire Africa Award: Best Artist Innovation – Thinking Outside the Box, New York City, USA.
2007 Young Innovator Award, Sandbox Network, London, UK.
Selective Collections
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), Cape Town, South Africa.
Tiroche Deleon Collection, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City, USA.
Lemaître Collection, Paris, France.
Han Nefkens H+F Collection, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Helena Fernandino & Emilio Pi Collection, Madrid, Spain.
Saatchi & Abel Collection, Cape Town, South Africa.
The Royal Portfolio Collection, Cape Town, South Africa.
Ekhard Foundation, Wassenaar, Netherlands.
The Met Museum, New York, USA.
Galila’s P.O.C, Brussels, Belgium.
UNISA Art Collection, Pretoria, South Africa.
Selected Solo Exhibitions and Presentations
2022 A Small World, AKKA Project, Venice, Italy
2020 Taarifa Kamili, Nairobi, Kenya.
2018 ART X Lagos (SMAC Gallery), The Civic Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.
2017 Pandashuka, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.
2016 Njia Ya Maisha, The ARMORY SHOW: African Perspectives (SMAC Gallery), Pier 92 & 94, New York City, USA.
2013 Cyrus Kabiru: C-Stunners, Frank Picture Gallery in association with the Ed Cross Fine Arts Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
2011 Cyrus Kabiru, Kuntspodium T Gallery, Tilburg, Netherlands.
2019 Cyrus Kabiru, Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Arts (RaMoMA), Nairobi, Kenya.
Selected Group Exhibitions and Presentations
2022 OZANGE African Photography Biennial, Malaga, Spain Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room, The Met Museum, New York City, New York, USA
2021 Indian Ocean Craft Triennial (SMAC Gallery), Western Australia The Pandemic Is a Portal, curated by Daniel S. Palmer, The Armory, OVR
2020 Paris Photo (Braverman Gallery), Grand Palais, Paris, France
2019 MACHO NNE Afro-futurist visions of CYRUS KABIRU, The African Museum of Verona, Italy, Verona
2017 All Things Being Equal, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), Cape Town, South Africa
AFRICAN VOICES: Confronting Frontiers of Reality, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design curated by Amelie Klein & Okwui Enwezor, [Travelling Exhibition], High Museum of Art, Atlanta, USA
2016 Brutal Beauty: Violence and Contemporary Design, in collaboration with Max Borka, Marta Herford Museum for Art, Architecture & Design, Herford, Germany
2015 Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design curated by Amelie Klein & Okwui Enwezor, [Travelling Exhibition], Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain; Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rein, Germany
Unorthodox, curated by Jens Hoffmann, The Jewish Museum, New York City, USA
Beyond Borders, 5th Beaufort Triennial, West Flanders Province, Belgium
2014 MORE MATERIAL, curated by Duro Olowu, Bowery Gallery, New York City, USA
2013 The Shadows Took Shape, Studio Museum Harlem, New York City, USA
