Ngai| Exhibition Print

Edition: Limited to 10 
Size: 30cm x 30cm
Paper: Somerset Velvet for Epson - 255 gsm, 100% cotton rag

Ngai is understood as an omnipotent creator deity in Gĩkũyũ tradition. Within this worldview, Mount Kenya (Kirinyaga) holds particular spiritual weight, and Ngai is also addressed as Mwene-Nyaga (“Possessor of Brightness”).

Ritual life is often described through place and practice: when rains failed, elders gathered at sacred sites such as the mugumo (sacred fig) tree to offer prayers and sacrifices to Ngai.

Across neighbouring communities, closely related names and concepts appear; in Maasai tradition, the supreme deity is often called Engai/Enkai, and some accounts describe this power through dual aspects (benevolent/harsh) expressed in colour symbolism.