A photography exhibition titled The Last Ones by Trevor Maingi and Teti Sulu opened at The Good Grain in Nairobi.
The exhibition explores the landscapes of Mount Kenya and the people whose lives intersect with them, documenting moments that are fading. Shot on film, the exhibition highlights the declining glaciers on the mountain, offering viewers an urgent perspective.
Trevor explains that the idea behind The Last Ones is to give attention to stories and landscapes that are changing with time. His work mainly focuses on film photography, documentaries, travel, landscape portraits, and cultural storytelling.
The Last Ones allowed him to document the mountain and its people before some of those moments were gone forever.
The exhibition began with an invitation from Trevor’s friend, Neil Sandoz, who said he was going to the mountains and asked him if he wanted to join.
Trevor, who had never hiked before, decided to go. They spent five days on the trail, and he chose to document the journey on film instead of digitally.
Later, he shared the experience with Teti, who was inspired to shoot on film too. They realised we had captured perspectives of the mountains that few people had ever seen. He adds that the duo returned for a second expedition, again focusing on Mount Kenya.
“The glaciers are disappearing, and by 2050, the mountains will have changed. We wanted to capture the mountain from angles and moments that will vanish,” he says.
Trevor’s approach to photography isn’t about capturing picturesque moments but a feeling or a specific instant.
He explains that shooting on film slowed him down and taught him to be present and intentional, making this exhibition an experiment. He hopes that visitors to the exhibition will appreciate the mountain from a different perspective.
“If you don’t enjoy it now, the glaciers will be gone someday. The goal is to inspire people to physically explore these places and value them while they can,” he says.