Currently one of the artists represented by One Off Gallery, Richard Kimathi is the only Kenyan artist whose work has been used in the creation of a United Nations postage stamp. He has also exhibited extensively around the world from the USA to Italy to Senegal (at the Dakar Biennale) and many other countries and is easily one of the Kenya's best known artists.
Kimathi was born in Nyeri in 1971 and spent most of his growing years in Machakos. He loved art from the beginning and painted continuously from an early age. In 1996, Kimathi joined the then newly established Kuona Trust studios and begin to work with other artists there after a diploma in graphic arts. A year later, he was declared "Most Promising Artist" in a national competition. He also gained several prices in Africa and abroad : first price East african industries art competition; winner of the winsor and newton millenium art competition in 2000, followed by exposures in London, Paris, Switzerland and in New York. In 2001, he was invited to a four month residency programme at the university of Kentucky (USA).
Kimathi experiments with ease and incorporates a quirky humor in his work. He uses pastels, acrylic resins, ink, oils, on fabrics or paper, its speciality. He reads magazines on art and enjoys a wide range of music – for which he has an impressive collection of music from West Africa, blues and roots reggae. He works from his home-studio on the outskirts of Nairobi.