Arlene Wandera graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in London, in 2005. Working in various mediums, including sculpture, installation, performance, and photography, Wandera addresses the duality between local socio-cultural concerns and global shared experiences. Though wary of grand narratives, much of her work orbits around issues related to everyday struggles, idealism, childhood, nostalgia, unrest, safety, stability, social interaction, and black and white identities. Wandera often transforms and repurposes low quality everyday materials and objects, such as household paint, fabric cut-offs, children’s clay, discarded objects, and plastic, combining traditional sculptural techniques with recycling processes learnt during her early childhood in Nairobi.

Wandera has participated in numerous residencies and has exhibited both in the UK and abroad, including Senegal, South Korea, Germany, and South Africa. Live performances include Dirty Paradise at Tron Theatre in Glasgow, UK, in 2010 and The 7000 Year Old Woman at Tate Modern in London, in 2009.