KIBERA GHOST RIDER
Prize(s):
Honorable Mention 2026 FASHION DESIGN / Avant-Garde
Lead Designer(s) Name(s):Kevin abraham - KEVO ABBRA
Photo Credit:Collaborated Photography by Tintseh
Project Location:Kibera, Nairobi
Design Status:Concept
Website: View
Project Description:
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, life changed and there was little time to adjust to a new normal. Food was scarce and movement was limited due to the government imposed measurements to control the outbreak. Lucky enough in KIBERA, residents seemed to enjoy stunt ride entertainment from a half masked stylish individual whose identity has been unknown for awhile. The lead of ' KIBERA GHOST RIDER ’ a subculture popularly known by the youths, finally got to reveal his face and fashion style that compliments his cool upcycled futuristic motorbike dubbed KINYAMBI. He was spotted making rounds on his motorbike transporting food to families and offering quick transportation services to the people who were out before 7:00 PM which was the set curfew time. His availability and ability to be everywhere came in handy to his people. Meet BACTERIA.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, life changed and there was little time to adjust to a new normal. Food was scarce and movement was limited due to the government imposed measurements to control the outbreak. Lucky enough in KIBERA, residents seemed to enjoy stunt ride entertainment from a half masked stylish individual whose identity has been unknown for awhile. The lead of ' KIBERA GHOST RIDER ’ a subculture popularly known by the youths, finally got to reveal his face and fashion style that compliments his cool upcycled futuristic motorbike dubbed KINYAMBI. He was spotted making rounds on his motorbike transporting food to families and offering quick transportation services to the people who were out before 7:00 PM which was the set curfew time. His availability and ability to be everywhere came in handy to his people. Meet BACTERIA.
Project Innovation / Specification:
This costuming project presents a striking character born from the textures, tensions, and beauty of informal settlements in Nairobi. Constructed entirely from recycled fabrics sourced in Kibera and upcycled metals, wires, and discarded materials, the body of work transforms what is often overlooked into symbols of resilience, imagination, and power. The character emerges not as a victim of circumstance, but as a visionary figure, a monument to possibility. Through this work, the artist seeks to inspire and encourage children and youth from informal settlements to claim space, to see dignity in their heritage, and to recognize that their stories are worthy of global visibility. By reimagining waste as regalia, and scrap as armor, the project reframes marginalization into magnificence. It becomes both a mirror and a portal, reflecting lived realities while projecting empowered futures. Ultimately, the work aims to unite global audiences through a shared understanding of creativity as resistance, culture as strength, and community as a force of transformation.
This costuming project presents a striking character born from the textures, tensions, and beauty of informal settlements in Nairobi. Constructed entirely from recycled fabrics sourced in Kibera and upcycled metals, wires, and discarded materials, the body of work transforms what is often overlooked into symbols of resilience, imagination, and power. The character emerges not as a victim of circumstance, but as a visionary figure, a monument to possibility. Through this work, the artist seeks to inspire and encourage children and youth from informal settlements to claim space, to see dignity in their heritage, and to recognize that their stories are worthy of global visibility. By reimagining waste as regalia, and scrap as armor, the project reframes marginalization into magnificence. It becomes both a mirror and a portal, reflecting lived realities while projecting empowered futures. Ultimately, the work aims to unite global audiences through a shared understanding of creativity as resistance, culture as strength, and community as a force of transformation.
Project Sustainability Approach:
The bike prop rig and costuming direction are deeply personal. They are informed by the artist’s upbringing in Kawangware, where discarded electronics, exposed wiring, broken motherboards and scrap metal formed part of the everyday urban landscape. These materials, once seen as remnants of neglect become central to the creative language of the project. Through careful collection and transformation, the artist repurposes wires, metals, and abandoned components into sculptural extensions of the body and custom rig structures. The bike prop becomes more than a vehicle; it is a symbolic engine of mobility,defiance, and self-determination. Rooted in upcycling practices, the aesthetic bridges survival ingenuity with speculative futurism. The process reflects an Afrofuturist philosophy imagining futures shaped not by imported narratives, but by localized materials, lived experience, and inherited resilience.
The bike prop rig and costuming direction are deeply personal. They are informed by the artist’s upbringing in Kawangware, where discarded electronics, exposed wiring, broken motherboards and scrap metal formed part of the everyday urban landscape. These materials, once seen as remnants of neglect become central to the creative language of the project. Through careful collection and transformation, the artist repurposes wires, metals, and abandoned components into sculptural extensions of the body and custom rig structures. The bike prop becomes more than a vehicle; it is a symbolic engine of mobility,defiance, and self-determination. Rooted in upcycling practices, the aesthetic bridges survival ingenuity with speculative futurism. The process reflects an Afrofuturist philosophy imagining futures shaped not by imported narratives, but by localized materials, lived experience, and inherited resilience.
Local and Regional Impacts of the Project:
LOCAL IMPACT (Nairobi Informal Settlements) 1. Reclaiming Narrative Power. The project shifts how informal settlements are represented from spaces of lack to spaces of innovation, culture, and futurism challenging stereotypical media imagery and replaces it with dignity and imagination. 2.Youth Empowerment Through Visibility. 3.Environmental Awareness Through Practice The use of recycled and discarded materials models sustainable creation. It reframes waste as resource, subtly encouraging environmental consciousness in communities where waste management is often a daily reality. REGIONAL IMPACT (Kenya & East Africa) 1. Redefining African Futurism from the Ground Up. 2. Cross-Community Dialogue. 3. Encouraging Circular Creative Economies 4. Cultural Diplomacy
LOCAL IMPACT (Nairobi Informal Settlements) 1. Reclaiming Narrative Power. The project shifts how informal settlements are represented from spaces of lack to spaces of innovation, culture, and futurism challenging stereotypical media imagery and replaces it with dignity and imagination. 2.Youth Empowerment Through Visibility. 3.Environmental Awareness Through Practice The use of recycled and discarded materials models sustainable creation. It reframes waste as resource, subtly encouraging environmental consciousness in communities where waste management is often a daily reality. REGIONAL IMPACT (Kenya & East Africa) 1. Redefining African Futurism from the Ground Up. 2. Cross-Community Dialogue. 3. Encouraging Circular Creative Economies 4. Cultural Diplomacy
Lead Designer(s) Name(s):Kevin abraham - KEVO ABBRA
