Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Thandiwe discovered photography at 14, experimenting with an old Nikon D80 from her father. Self-taught, she immersed herself in books and video tutorials, learning from every resource she could find, as Kenya did not have any formal photography schools.

Drawing inspiration from the everyday lives of Kenyans and crowning her subjects with popular African hairstyles, Thandiwe explores the individual’s quest for identity and cultural roots, and in so doing explores her very own identity, first as an Artist and secondly as a Black Woman. The Camo series represents the African woman’s tumultuous voyage to reclaim her self-love, a fight against the often-exclusionary beauty standards of her own community.

Thandiwe Muriu's works are present in multiple international collections: Fondation Gandur from Switzerland, UHODA collection from Belgium, The Contemporary African Art collection by Pigozzi, Hood Museum of Art and Joy Simmons Collection (USA). This year, she will be exhibited in several group shows: Femme Noire at the Seattle Art Museum, Africa Supernova Kunsthal KAdE (Netherlands) and Fondation Vasarely (France) as well as major biennales planned for 2024.