Think of the image of the quintessential artist; a quirky and restless mien, a slightly dishevelled look thanks to relentless torture by the demons of their creativity, romantic idealism and perhaps wayward dreaminess then you get a near-perfect image of Sinatra Chumo. Sinatra’s quirkiness doesn’t end there. Whilst his peers prefer a stiff drink or a smoke to help them steel their nerves as the possessive forces of creativity plague their consciousness, Sinatra prefers a cup of tea.
And Sinatra wears this waywardness like a badge of honour not only letting it be his identifier but also breathing meaning into it. “I’ve always been a bit different, being drawn to the alternative, wacky, less mainstream aspects of life,” he says. Not one to miss the slightest of opportunities to rub in his love for tea he adds, “ I’ve always wanted more from life than the usual basic cup of tea that most people are comfortable with. Like yeah, let’s throw multiple flavoured tea bags in that cup and see what happens.”
Sinatra Chumo is a multifaceted artist with a diverse portfolio that spans graphic design, 3D design, digital art and community building. Sinatra has previously exhibited his work at the Nairobi Design Week and the Affordable Arts Ke exhibition. He is also one of the co-founders of Meet Me – a community-based collective keen on bringing artists closer to their audience.
Sinatra’s journey into art began as a confluence of multiple factors. Fundamentally, he was propelled by a desire to find a creative outlet which saw him briefly take up Art and Design as a subject in high school; however, it was after high school that his journey into art really began.
“After high school, my elder brother who had been dabbling in art for some time gifted me an iPad. Shortly thereafter, I reached out to another digital artist who had more skin in the game, just to get some insight from them. Unfortunately, they were snobbish and unresponsive and that fuelled me to dig further into art,” says Sinatra.
Armed with an iPad for illustration and the unquenchable fire within him to prove a point, Sinatra would spend countless hours on YouTube learning from other digital creators and honing and expanding his skill set. But why digital art?
“Digital art is more flexible and involves less hustle as compared to traditional forms of art such as drawing and painting on canvas. For me to create, I only need an iPad and perhaps the app, Illustrator. Additionally, I wouldn’t need to wait for an exhibition or go scouting for an art gallery to showcase my work. I just create and put it up on say Behance, and anybody interested would just reach out to me.”
Apart from defining him, for Sinatra, art is a medium for deciphering the world and also revealing himself. “I don’t really have a non-creating day. Even when I am not actively working or making art, I am usually thinking about it or watching YouTube videos and tutorials to improve my craft in some way or form,” he says.
A look at his digital art pieces reveals not only an artist expressing himself but also a profound thinker who is trying to ask questions and seek responses from the world. I am most intrigued by one of his pieces titled Ideas from Another Man’s Mind which is a compilation of the faces of the late Queen Elizabeth, Kenya’s first president – Jomo Kenyatta – and his scion and fourth president of Kenya – Uhuru Kenyatta. “The piece is a take on neo-colonialism in Kenya. I was basically trying to show that colonialism as an idea has stayed on, it’s only that it has taken different faces through time,” he explains.
Sinatra refuses to box his artistic style. Instead, he believes that his style of art is in constant evolution, a reflection of his interests at the time of creation and a means of experimentation with different ideas. “I see art as a medium of expression, and I adjust my style to better convey a specific message,” he continues, “For example, I’m currently learning 3D art to expand my ability to express my ideas that may be limited by other art forms. However, I do have a strong inclination towards pan-African and activist art and themes.”
It is said that the call to priesthood and the call to artistry are quite similar in that both are called to serve both God and humanity albeit in different ways. To this end, Sinatra believes that his calling is to tell stories, especially those that surround Pan-African ideals. “I hope to plant seeds of conversation and inspire thought through my work. Beyond that, the process of creating things brings me immense joy. For me, the journey of creation is often more rewarding than the final product,” he offers.
Of his creation process, Sinatra says, “My creation process is messy and convoluted. When an idea hits, I scramble to write it down. I keep coming back to those notes while starting projects and returning to them when I am ready to execute. I have ideas dating back to 2015, patiently waiting for my skills to catch up so that I can bring them to life. During this time, my perspective also changes, which is a plus.”
The journey hasn’t been all rosy for Sinatra thus far. For one, the process of creating art has forced him to look into the mirror and confront his weaknesses. He admits to being in a constant battle to overcome the desire to do many things at once; animation, digital art and product design which leaves him feeling burnt out and exhausted. Apparently, there is a bitter-sweet side to this weakness – Sinatra is upbeat that the demands of his art have given him a sense of purpose. Additionally, artistic production has also taught him to set priorities and create a balance between various projects and his personal life.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been a big disruptor in the artistic space as art pieces generated with the help of AI have gone on to win art contests. Sinatra doesn’t appear too worried about the use of AI in art. On the contrary, he terms it a “mixed development”. He believes that AI is just a tool – a natural evolution in creation, akin to calculators replacing abacuses or software like Photoshop enhancing digital art. “I believe in integrating AI into my workflow to stay ahead and streamline certain aspects of the creative process that can be repetitive and time-consuming, let’s face it, not all aspects of creating are a breeze,” he says.
Sinatra however cautions that the implementation of AI often relies on the use of data from other artists’ work which raises ethical concerns and can limit creativity. “Despite its potential, AI should enhance, not replace the human touch in art,” he asserts.
Presently, Sinatra is still riding on the high of being crowned March winner of the NewComma Creative Fund. “First, a big shout out to Nigel and Natalie from NewComma! Through them I have the opportunity to exhibit some of my work at the Nairobi Design Week,” he says, then adds, “The award confirms that I am moving in the right direction with my craft and provides external validation for that.”
Still, Sinatra is in a constant process of redefining himself. For now and going into the future, he is redirecting his artistic skills towards design work. An example of his design work is the render of Qwani 01, and the posters for Meet Me events. “The design space is a more flexible space for me because there’s a greater gap to be filled over there since fewer creators are exploring art in design in the way I am and also it makes more business sense. Additionally, I am always pushing boundaries in design, with an eye on creating unconventional yet visually appealing designs. I also do brand designing for businesses,” he says.
As a community builder through the artists’ collective Meet Me, Sinatra and his other co-founder, Ndung’u Mbithi, believe that Meet Me’s greatest success thus far lies in providing a platform for alternative artists. “ The whole idea about it is to provide a third space for alternative artists to gather and share the joys of being creators. We have held our events in a variety of places such as living rooms, basements and so on with an aim of giving nuance to each Meet Me edition,” Sinatra explains. `
As a clincher, I ask Sinatra whether he was named after the late popular American singer and actor Frank Sinatra to which he responds, “Disclaimer: Sinatra is not my actual name. Yeah, yeah, I know, bummer! It’s more like a moniker I picked up and it just caught on, plus it’s a real conversation starter and harder to forget. It’s like MF DOOM and his multiple alter egos, but oddly enough, even my mom calls me Sinatra sometimes.”
