Photojournal Banner

About the Author


Author.

My name is Waweru Njenga - pronounced wa/we/ru - jen/ga ...

I am originally from Nairobi, Kenya, but if truth be told I'm a "global nomad." During the 70's my father was a diplomat posted to the Kenyan mission to the U.N. and so America is no stranger to me. (Actually, both my parents are American-educated and met in New York City.)

From 1976 to 1980 I was in Westlands primary school, Nairobi. In 1981 I was a first former at St. Mary's School in Nairobi, Kenya. I then transferred to the Sandford International School (class of '85) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (an eye opener! a terrible beauty ...) and from 1985 to 1990 I was an undergraduate at the University of Virginia (B.A. - Biology, 1989).

In 1990 I moved to my present home, Washington, DC where I picked up a Law Degree at Howard University (JD, '94) and have lived ever since ...

This photo of me was taken in Central Park, New York City in the summer of 1998. DC Photojournal, a "virtual coffee-table book" is my first major web project.

 

Author in central park
Full screen version


Author - 2

This is me at the Library of Congress in 1999.

I call this photo:

"Author - 2"

Author at the library of congress


Author - 3

This is me in a recent passport photo.

I call this shot, taken in November 2004:

"Author - 3"

Author - 3


Author - 4

This is my astrological birth chart.

Source: Astrology.com

I call this shot:

"Author- 4"

Full screen version


Author - 5

This is a photograph of me and two of my younger brothers taken around 1974 in New York. We're enjoying ice-cream. I'm the brother at the left.

I call this shot:

"Author- 5."

In loving memory of my father

F.X. Njenga.

January 6, 1940 - December 25, 2008

Thank you Daddy.


Author - 6

This is one of a series of self-portraits that I took after viewing the Richard Avendon photography show "Portraits of Power," at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Mark van S of MVS Studio created an installation at the Corcoran, "Corcoran Portrait Project, "which allowed visitors to the gallery to take self portraits in a format similar to that used by Richard Avendon. The portraits were then projected onto a large screen and later onto the internet.

I call this photo, taken on January 14, 2009:

"Author-6."

Author6

Author - 7

I call this photo, taken at the same time:

"Author-7."

Author 7

Author - 8

This is shot of me taken by a friend in 1987 during my second year as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia. I was in a crowd in Alderman (or Newcomb? ) Hall ballroom watching a black fraternity "Stepshow."

I call this photo, taken in the fall of 1987:

"Author - 8."

Author - 8

X - Ray

This is an X-Ray of my skull done by my Dentist.

I call this photo, taken in February 2010:

"X-Ray."

Teeth have been a life long problem for me. I can remember agonizing tooth pain from as young as 2 or 3 years old. I have bad tooth genes ...

That's why we have science. If I had lived in Roman times I would be toothless ...

"What nature leaves imperfect, the art perfects," say the alchemists. Man, I, in an invisible act of creation put the stamp of perfection on the world by giving it objective existence. This act we usually ascribe to the Creator alone, without considering that in so doing we view life as a machine calculated down to the last detail, which, along with the human psyche, runs on senselessly, obeying foreknown and predetermined rules. ... "

C.G. Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections (1961) at 255-256.

X-Ray

Author - 10

This is a photo of me taken at the Freer Gallery of Art in 1998. On the right is an ancient Egyptian bust from either the 5th or 6th dynasty (c.2600 - 2100 BC). It is no longer on view.

The bust is in the Smithsonian's Asian collection, but I am certain all Egyptian art before the 11th dynasty is black African. See my arguments on page 59 and 60 of this website. An enduring fascination of mine is the rest black African history before this time.

The Freer weblink suggests that this is a southern Egyptian King - from the shape of the crown. However, this could also be a representation of Osiris. See the "Meeting Osiris" mural on page 60 of this site. Green skin and a white crown.

I call this photo, taken in the summer of 1998:

"Author - 10."

Author - 10


About the Author

Contents

© 2011 by Waweru Njenga. All rights reserved.

 Last updated: 5/25/2011

 

1