Since 2023, artist Phoebe A. Ouma has marked Valentine's Day with a kanga-inspired illustration celebrating love through Swahili sayings, symbolic imagery, and her own distinctive artistic style.

Each year, Phoebe returns to the kanga not only as a source of visual inspiration, but as a storytelling tradition through which to explore different expressions of love. Across the four illustrations featured below, she reimagines the kanga in her own distinctive style while remaining rooted in one of its defining traditions: communicating messages through misemo.

Together, the four illustrations trace an evolving conversation about love—from celebrating those who love us, to the richness of being loved, the light of a loving heart, and a poetic reflection on love as an enduring covenant. They beautifully demonstrate how contemporary artists continue to reinterpret one of East Africa's most enduring textiles while honouring its role as a medium of communication.

Below, we've gathered Phoebe's four Valentine's illustrations, created between 2023 and 2026.

2023

2024

2025

2026