DINESH’S
SOLO SHOW AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL
BY
Margaretta wa Gacheru (posted 21 May 2018 for Saturday Nation)
Kenyan
artists are ever exploring the local terrain for new spaces to display their
art.
There’s
prestige for an artist to exhibit their work in established galleries and art
centers. But if you’re not near the top of gallerists’ lists of painters or
sculptors to be put on display, then life can be tough trying to get your
artwork into the public eye.
That’s why
Dinesh Revankar is glad to have met the new Hotel InterContinental Regional
Manager Oliver Geyer. He’s the main man in charge of all aspects of the Hotel’s
Nairobi operations, including the décor and what hangs on the walls.
Dinesh had
already been selling his work in the African Heritage Gift Shop inside the
Hotel. But once he realized that Mr Geyer had been the person responsible for Ruth
Nyakundi’s exhibiting her art all around the lobby area of the ‘Intercon’, he
introduced himself to the Regional Manager and asked if he could do the same
once Ruth’s show had closed. And that is how it happened that Dinesh now has
what amounts to a major solo exhibition at one of the leading five-star hotels
in town.
Fortunately,
the artist paints in a wide variety of styles, so that one can walk from one
end of the Hotel to the other and see a rich assortment of artistry. There’s
everything from wildlife and Kenyan landscapes to abstract art and iconic
Kenyan imagery such as the Migration in the Maasai Mara, traditional Turkana
dancers and Savannah sunset. As such, the passerby might not even realize that
all the art is by one person, except Dinesh has carefully labeled all his works
including prices and his personal contacts.
Such
comprehensive labelling is not normally displayed in gallery shows, but the
Hotel is not a gallery, according to Mr Geyer.
In fact, it
is not even company policy to regularly hang local artists’ works in
Intercontinental Hotels. But as every regional manager is in charge of his hotel,
Mr Geyer sees part of his social responsibility to his guests to introduce them
to a bit of Kenyan culture and art. At the same time, his policy is also not
charge the artist anything like a commission for his or her sales, which is why
Dinesh includes his email and phone number on all his labels.
The practice
of putting local artists’ works up on his hotel’s wall actually began for the
German-born manager when he was based in Muscat, Oman. “It was in Oman that I
met an American independent gallerist who was especially concerned about
promoting Omani women artists. I liked the idea and began doing the same
through exhibiting their work in the hotel,” he told Saturday Nation.
That is also
why, when he came to Kenya, he wanted to continue the practice of exhibiting works
of local women artists. “But as I didn’t know how to find them, I began looking
through the hotel’s storage and I found work by Ruth,” he says.
“I contacted
her and invited her to bring her paintings. We had them up in the hotel for
almost one year,” he adds.
Two of Ruth’s
large paintings remained behind at the InterContinental in the reception areas.
Meanwhile, the rest of the wall space on the ground floor is filled with
Dinesh’s art.
It’s also in
the Business Centre as well as in main dining room known as The Terrace, the
Executive Lounge upstairs, and even in the Presidential Suite.
Personally,
his lion in the Executive Lounge is my favorite. But then, the Presidential
Suite was occupied on the day I came to see what Dinesh considers to be his
finest pieces, so I’ll reserve final judgment.
Dinesh is a
native of Mumbai and came to Kenya in the mid-1980s. He has worked as a graphic
designer, illustrator and fine artist who often gets calls from guests in the
hotel who like a particular painting but feel it’s either too big or too small
for their needs. So he’s become something of a customizer, meaning an artist
who agrees to duplicate his art to accommodate his new client’s need. “It’s no
trouble for me and I’m happy to complete the sale,” he adds.
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