Charles Ngatia was born in Eldoret, Western Kenya, in March 1979. Because his single mother could no longer afford the school fees, he made his way to Nairobi without having completed elementary school and lived on the streets. Then he made contact with the street children's theatre "Shangilia mtoto wa Africa" (Rejoice, Child of Africa). He didn't excel as an actor, but his sets quickly became popular. In workshops at the Kenya National Museum, he continued his education and perfected various techniques. His main theme is still "life in the slum". He paints in dark, threatening tones, but also has colourful and cheerful palette. He has had various exhibitions in Nairobi, in the National Museum and in various cultural institutes and artist cooperatives. In Germany, his pictures could be seen in the Charterhouse in Cologne and at the Rodenkirchener Art Mile.