SOI’S
MOTHERBOARD SHOW CHALLENGES STATUS QUO
By
Margaretta wa Gacheru (margaretta.gacheru@gmail.com)
Michael Soi
is a specialist in creating art that arrests, arouses and occasionally annoys.
He’s been consistent in this regard. He’s annoyed everyone from fundamentalist
Christians who tried to censor his “Sex in the City” which he shared with Thom
Ogonga and John Kamicha at Alliance Francaise a few years back.
He upset the
Chinese with his marvelous graphic series called “China Loves Africa”. They
were so upset they sent embassy men to his studio at The GoDown where Michael
says they essentially sought to intimidate him to stop satirizing their role in
the region, especially their relationships with African women.
But Soi is
not easily intimidated. On the contrary, one only needs to see his current
exhibition at Circle Art Gallery entitled ‘Motherboard’ to know his art might
scandalize some people. But be assured, he doesn’t mind. In fact, he clearly
enjoys creating witty art that illustrates his current train of thought, be it
sports, politics, Nairobi night life or bodies beautiful.
He’s
especially good at satirizing hypocrites and hustlers, be they guys who
frequent ‘red light’ zones or boys who pick up girls who get them visas to go
overseas.
But if Soi scandalizes
some, he has many more fans who love his art. So much so that those who may not
afford his paintings on stretched canvas are happy just to buy a canvas bag
with a pretty face on it painted by Soi.
His current
show at Circle Art is, nonetheless a dramatic departure for him. And not just
because he paints whole walls of the gallery with his intricate labyrinthine
designs into which he inserts whole continents.
It’s the
other surfaces that Soi paints on that might well raise eyebrows. But again, that’s
in part the idea of his art. “I put a notice on Facebook asking for 10 women
who wouldn’t mind modelling topless,” said Soi on opening night of his
Motherboard show.
“I got over
390 offers with a few even offering to pay me for my painting them,” he added,
amused by the overwhelming response.
Soi’s
challenge was to paint on human skins, specifically on mainly women’s chests,
shoulders, arms and backs. It’s true there are two images of a man ‘boxing’
with both his arms covered in the same metulous maze-like designs that he
paints on women’s breasts. But for some reason, the man is the only one in this
show who covers his chest. All the women (who remain anonymous) are technically
topless, although they’re carefully painted as if ‘dressed up’ in Soi’s acrylic
attire.
From an
aesthetic perspective, Soi’s women (especially their boobs) come across as beautiful
objects. But as is invariably the case, his art may upset some people,
especially feminists and fundamentalists.
As for me,
his art never fails to amuse me since I appreciate the way he dares to break
the bonds of status quo propriety.
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