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Manyaku Mashilo and Zizipho Poswa on month-long residency at Segera Retreat, Kenya
6 Mar 2026 (3 min) read
Manyaku Mashilo and Zizipho Poswa are currently in Kenya at Segera Retreat, connecting with the land and people during their artist-in-residency programme.
Located in the wildlife-rich landscapes of the Laikipia Plateau in central Kenya, Segera has hosted artists-in-residence for more than a decade. This creative immersion programme brings contemporary African art into dialogue with nature, conservation, culture, and community. Segera's exhibits form part of the Zeitz Collection and include iconic land art, bronzes, prints, paintings and digital installations from artists working across Africa and the African diaspora, establishing the destination as an East African hub for contemporary art.
Segera has created a space where artists are invited to engage in a setting that encourages reflection, research, and experimentation. Artists such as Peterson Kamwathi, Misheck Masamvu, Neo Matloga, Hank Willis Thomas, Strijdom van der Merwe, Michele Mathison, and Umar Rashid (Frohawk Two Feathers) have had prolific residencies at the Segera Conservancy, creating profound artworks during their stay.
The programme supports artists whose work engages with themes of identity, landscape, history, and the broader narratives of the African continent. Surrounded by a private wildlife conservancy that is home to keystone and endangered species such as elephant, rhinos, lion, reticulated giraffe, and Grevy’s zebra, artists can draw inspiration from the environment while developing new ideas within their practice.
During their stay, artists often share insights into their work through conversations and informal gatherings, offering guests a rare opportunity to engage directly with contemporary African artists and their creative processes in an inspiring natural setting.
“We are thrilled to welcome artists to Segera and to give our guests the extraordinary opportunity to directly engage with the leading artists of our time,” says Jochen Zeitz, Owner of Segera.
Landscape has always played an important conceptual and symbolic role in Mashilo’s practice. Rather than depicting realistic scenery, she uses landscape elements—plants, patterns, colour fields, and natural forms—to express identity, memory, and emotional states, particularly connected to Black womanhood and personal history. “There’s a real synergy here for me”, says Mashilo. “I am excited about studying these new, vast landscapes and immersing myself in these natural environments.”
“Spending time with the women from the local communities has felt very familiar; I can relate in many ways in terms of how I grew up," she continues. "My grandmother tended the land, as do these women, so I feel a deep, organic connection to them, the land, and the natural elements here. Most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing how being here comes through in the work I will produce.”
Poswa’s sculptures stand in testimony to her matrilineal heritage, celebrating the life-sustaining roles that Xhosa women play in traditional and contemporary life. Her African womanhood is the foundation of all her work. Clay is also “of the earth,” and being Poswa’s medium, connecting with the rich, life-giving landscape at Segera, as well as the local community of women, has felt natural and intuitive. “The local community of women is incredible. We sang and danced with them and had great conversations about womanhood. It very much reminded me of engaging with the women in my own village back home”, says Poswa.
“I have decided to put these special women at the centre of the work I produce here: small studies inspired by the women of the region. I was so moved by their stories and would love to pay homage to their strength, grace and endurance,” she explains. “I also discovered some local clay that I am looking forward to exploring. I am grateful for the opportunity to incorporate the local materials in this new work.”