Kenya's Kibera slum hit the world's headlines when the man behind it's artistic makeover, French artist JR, was announced the winner of the 2011 TED Prize. Located on the outskirts of Kenya's capital Nairobi, Kibera is one of Africa's largest slums, measuring approximately 2.5 square kilometers. It houses nearly 1 million people in inadequate 'houses'. The one room shelters are made out of mud, and sheets of corrugated steel are used as roofs. The people of Kibera live in cramped conditions with a lack of clean water, sanitation and healthcare. A large percentage of Kibera's population is infected with HIV and AIDs. People do not have the access to education facilities and many are unemployed. The exhibition, unveiled on 30 January 2009, is part of JR's 28 Millimeters project. Large, black and white canvases, showing parts of female faces like eyes and lips, were stretched over and attached to some of Kibera's corrugated steel rooftops. Even the trains that are the main mode of transport for Kiberans were treated with the pictures, creating moving canvases.
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