Why are Kenyan churches and mosques being painted yellow?

The Jeddah Mosque was the first place of worship to be painted. Facebook | Colour in Faith

Churches and mosques in Nairobi are being painted a vibrant shade of yellow to demonstrate a "shared humanity" and highlight that there is more that unites people of different faiths than divides them.

The 'Colour in Faith' initiative was launched in 2015 by Colombian-American artist Yazmany Arboleda, who wanted to find a way to cross "language, religion, ethnicity and politics", which so often cause sectarian divides.

"The goal was to take houses of worship in Kenya and paint them yellow in the name of love," he told the Guardian. "The idea from the beginning was to turn buildings into sculptures that speak to our shared humanity."

So far more than 20 houses of worship have signed up, and three have already been painted – a mosque, a church and a Hindu temple.

Arboleda says the act of painting the buildings has brought different communities together. "To see people smile and talk to each other is beautiful".

So far more than 20 houses of worship have signed up, and three have already been painted Facebook | Colour in Faith

Cultural curator of the Colour in Faith project, Nabila Alibhai, told Up Nairobi that "the idea of having a constellation of yellow mosques, churches, temples and synagogues across the city sending a message of pluralism to the world through YELLOW is magnificent".

article,article,article Related

"Public installations like Colour in Faith are powerful because they activate the imagination of many and they call on us to collectively and deliberately create an expression of a world order that is better than the existing one," Alibhai said.

"We hope that this initiative will spread across the country and the world to express love of plurality and expression of faith in its best possible sense...Colour in faith: ."

related articles
Beyond rainbows and smiley Jesuses - the place of art in worship
Beyond rainbows and smiley Jesuses - the place of art in worship

Beyond rainbows and smiley Jesuses - the place of art in worship

A portrait of addiction: capturing the humanity of the homeless
A portrait of addiction: capturing the humanity of the homeless

A portrait of addiction: capturing the humanity of the homeless

How Naked Prayers might help you connect with God
How Naked Prayers might help you connect with God

How Naked Prayers might help you connect with God

News
Nigeria: 11 killed in night attack by militants
Nigeria: 11 killed in night attack by militants

11 people were killed in yet another massacre in Nigeria

Quakers respond to police raid with worship meeting outside Scotland Yard
Quakers respond to police raid with worship meeting outside Scotland Yard

Quaker activists will protest against a raid on their Meeting House by the police

Can ordinary Christians learn from the Amish? 
Can ordinary Christians learn from the Amish? 

From questioning the use of technology to taking the Bible very seriously, we can learn more than quilt-making and horse-and-buggy riding from these quirky American communities.

NI conversion therapy proposal will criminalise innocent behaviour
NI conversion therapy proposal will criminalise innocent behaviour

A proposal to ban conversion therapy in Northern Ireland has been labelled "jellyfish legislation".