JAK KATARIKAWE'S NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE

JAK’S ELEVENTH HOUR SHORT-TERM SAVE

By Margaretta wa Gacheru (posted 8 May 2017)

The precarious life of a Kenyan artist was unceremoniously exposed early this week when Jak Katarikawe’s landlord alerted one of Jak’s friends by text that auctioneers were coming Tuesday morning early to cart all of Jak’s possessions, including his art, away.

The reason Shallow Management was taking such drastic action was due to the rent arrears that one of East Africa’s most acclaimed artist owed.

“No, we won’t give him until the end of the week,” Mr Wachira told The Daily Nation. “We informed him he had to pay up and we’ve already given him more than one extension, so this is it,” he added.

The landlord clearly didn’t care that Jak would have nowhere to go, nor that his tenant (a painter whose art hangs in museums and private homes all over the world) could barely walk, having arthritis in his legs. Instead, he said Jak would have to pay for the auctioneers’ transport costs as well as their labor charges. Furthermore, Jak wouldn’t be allowed to leave his Shallow flat until he paid all those bills.

But the landlord was shrewd to contact Alan Donovan, the friend of Jak‘s who first heard about the dire straits the artist was in. If anyone could get Jak out of hock, it was the curator of the Nairobi Gallery who had actually exhibited Jak’s art in the past.

“If we could just sell one of his paintings, we could cover the arrears,” noted Donovan who knew that several of Jak’s best remaining artworks were at Nairobi Gallery (the old Provincial Commissioner’s stone offices next door to Nyayo House). But who was in a position to buy a Katarikawe painting, especially as one could conceivable sell for several million shillings?

This wasn’t the first time Jak had a problem managing his finances. Years ago, after coming to Kenya from Kampala where his artistic talents had been ‘discovered’ by Dr. David Cooke, (the Makerere University professor who’d hired Jak to drive his car), Jak had lived humbly and within his meager means.

He’d set up a sleep-in art studio for himself in the Princess Hotel on Tom Mboya Street. But once he met the late Ruth Schaffner of Gallery Watatu, Ruth moved him over to the Norfolk Towers “for security’s sake”. After she died, Jak had a similar problem with rent arrears, but he was fortunate back then that friends came to his aid and helped him move to his relatively less expensive Shallow apartment.

Jak’s problems largely relate to his paucity of financial acumen. He’d never learned to manage money, especially how to handle the millions of shillings that his art once garnered. Unfortunately, Ruth hadn’t helped in this regard. Instead, she paid his rent with the money he’d earned from his fabulous art sales. She also gave him pocket money whenever he asked, but she never showed him how to invest or even how to open a bank account.

One can’t entirely blame Ruth for what has been called Jak’s ‘donor dependency’. It’s a condition he suffers from due in part to his illiteracy. Back home in Kigezi, Uganda, he’d been the last born in a polygamous home where his father was old and disinterested in paying more school fees. But Jak was also encouraged to believe in European benefactors to take care of him, especially as he painted lovely pictures and always told fabulous stories to accompany his art.

The ex-patriate fans of Jak’s art may not have meant to infantilize the artist, but unfortunately they did. After Ruth died, he apparently lost interest in painting for several years. It was as if he remained in mourning and didn’t have anyone to replace her as a surrogate mother figure.

Currently, Jak’s Ugandan wife Florence stays with him at his fourth floor flat which is filled with his remaining paintings, prints, old photos of happier times and dusty stacks of newspapers. The rest of his family, including his dozen children and uncountable grandchildren are nowhere to be seen. When his artwork was selling well, his flat was often filled with distant relations who were happy to hover around the acclaimed artist. But once his funds dried up, they all disappeared. Meanwhile, Florence has begun to paint herself, emulating her husband’s style and taking pride in her plagiarizing skills.

Fortunately for Jak, just as the eleventh hour arrived, Donovan managed to interest one well-to-do client in buying one of Jak’s paintings, conceived during what’s considered his ‘heyday’ in the 1980s. The client hadn’t quite made up her mind, but she was prepared to put down a deposit on ‘The Family’, a joyful painting that was probably created when Jak was collaborating with Dr Eric Krystall and his Family Planning Private Sector art project.

The deposit was just enough to cover Jak’s arrears. Donovan had managed to meet the deadline the landlord had given him to settle the artist’s arrears. “We sent a check over directly to Swallow Management,” said Donovan whose good deed has practically saved Jak from being thrown out on the street the following day.

Nonetheless, Jak can’t answer the question of how he’ll pay next month’s rent which is Sh44,000. He says he’s now back to painting and hopes to have an exhibition soon. But his long-term plan is as precarious today as the day the landlord set his SMS.

On Facebook, a number of Jak’s fans are suggesting they set up an online account for the artist’s friends living abroad to assist in his upkeep. Ideally, that will happen, but again it will have to be a benefactor of Jak’s to provide the skills required to give him the sort of security that he really needs. In the interim, Jak says his trust in God is his life insurance policy and it won’t let him down.  

KENYAN ARTISTS MAKE IT TO VENICE BIENNALE

KENYA PAVILION ARTISTS ARRIVE IN TIME FOR VENICE BIENNALE OPENING

By Margaretta wa Gacheru (posted 8 May 2017)

The 57^th Venice Biennale is the largest and most prestigious art exhibition in the world. And when it opened May 10^th, Kenyan artists were there to participate in the festivities.

Among those who made it to Venice include the six artists selected to exhibit their artwork in the Kenya Pavilion as well as Pavilion curator Jimmy Ogongo and several others.

 It’s an historic moment for Kenya since previous Kenya Pavilions were filled with non-Kenyans, either Italians or Chinese! But this year is different, thanks to the rallying of local artists two years ago who compelled the Kenya Government to commit itself to supporting a Kenya-run Pavilion.

Then, with follow-up from Ogonga and Michael Soi, Kenya’s Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports, Dr Hassan Wario even wrote to the Biennale Board giving government endorsement to the kenya-run pavilion. Wario even established a Commission on the Kenya Pavilion and appointed the National Museum’s Dr. Kiprop Lagat its Chairman, made Lydia Galavu its Project Manager and Ogongo the Pavilion curator.

Initially, things seemed to run smoothly as Dr Wario committed government funding to the project. Ogongo also selected the six Kenyan artists to exhibit in the Kenya pavilion, namely Paul Onditi, Peterson Kamwathi, Richard Kimathi, Arlene Wandera and Ingrid Mwangi.

However, the promised funds has yet to come through. Nonetheless, the intrepid artists made it to Venice, assisted by assorted friends who believe in Kenyan artists and the importance of them being there in Venice.

“It may be that the funds were merely delayed and may be coming soon,” said Dr Lagat hopefully.

But the artists were not willing wait “till kingdom come”. They found their own means of getting there and we congratulate them for so doing.

GRAVITART GALLERY NEW ONLINE ART SPACE FOR KENYAN ARTISTS

NEW ONLINE ART GALLERY DEBUTS IN SAFFRON SPA

BY Margaretta wa Gacheru (posted 8 may 2017)

Spanish artist and architect Veronica Paradinas Duro understands that the best way to promote Kenyan art and artists on a global platform is to get them online in an attractive visual art gallery that can bring their best works to the attention of international audiences.

Her GravitArt Gallery is such an online art space. It’s one that Veronica, 32 has been planning since late last year. But she’s been meeting up with local artists ever since she first arrived in Kenya three years ago.

She’d been invited by a team of European architects to come here and join them after they’d seen the quality of her work online. She couldn’t resist accepting the challenge and seeing what opportunities might open up to her in Nairobi.

Over the last three years, she’s designed everything from private homes to public offices. But as she’d done a double major at University of Madrid in both architecture and fine art, she wasn’t fully satisfied doing architecture without being more actively engaged in the local art scene.

“Through my architectural work, I learned a lot about web design, so it seemed logical to apply that skill in ways that could assist my artist friends who are Kenyans,” said Veronica who launched her website late last week (April 27) with a pop-up exhibition of 11 Kenyan and Kenya-based artists at the Saffron Spa.

“A spa may not seem like an appropriate space to have an art exhibition,” said veronica who had been an arrangement with Saffron’s management to keep last Friday evening open just for her exhibition of artists’ works that are also the first 11 on her website.

“Unfortunately, there were a few [spa] clients who came for appointments that night,” she added. But it all worked out well in the end since the spa itself is an elegant venue that was beautifully well lit for an exhibition of paintings and sculptures that were easily found all over the spa.

“One of my Spanish friends is a chef so he created a creative culinary installation that was also quite beautiful,” she added.

The 11 artists whose works are on still display and which will be until …. May… are Abusharia Ahmed, El Tayeb, Dickson Kaloki, Justus Kyalo, Shabu Mwangi, Dennis muraguri, Peter Elungat, etc.

Veronica isn’t certain when or where she will have another pop up exhibition, but the current one is filled with colorful, mainly abstract expressionistic paintings, clearly a style that the curator admires.

An artist in her own right, Veronica is quite versatile as she blends fine art into her architectural work. Her most recent focus has been on etching in brilliant colors

As for the artists she has selected to highlight first, what makes her selection exceptional is that most of them have produced fresh new work, coincidentally with their online debut at Gravitart. The most stunning change one could see in artistic style is with Fitsum who is best known from his striking and powerful faces. But at the spa, he has gotten much more playful blending a glorious mix of bright cacophonic colors. He still works around a human face within a brighter almost carnival-like context.

What’s clear about the first 11 artists is they are keen to open up their artwork to wider realms of appreciation which is likely come forth. The assurance comes not just from the quality of their own art but that of veronica’s web design which is simple, clear, and comprehensive.

IRREPLACEABLE

Evans Maina Ngure’s first inspiration was his father who showed him how to draw cartoons and cars. He was fortunate to have had art classes up through Kenyatta University where he majored in painting. It was at KU that he was first encouraged to create art using ‘unconventional materials’ which naturally led him to start working with what other people called junk. Today he works with an assortment of found objects, such as zippers, spare parts from cars, buttons and used belts from Gikomba. He continues to ‘paint’ however his canvases are also filled with junk items. He also creating wearable art such jewelry, wind chimes, collages, back packs and purses. But his current exhibition at BIEA focuses on the creation of creatures, both wild and domestic which he designs with more ‘unconventional materials.”

Evans has exhibited all over Nairobi, from the Village Market, Dusit D2 Hotel, Nairobi National Museum, K1 Flea Market, Nairobi Gallery and ISK. His artwork is also available to see on Facebook (evans maina Ngure) and Instagram (Evans Ngure).

‘IRREPLACEABLE’ is an exhibition celebrating endangered species that are crucial to the continuity of life on planet Earth. He chooses to create this series of collage art to raise public awareness of the threat posed to the animals he’s created by human activities which have been the cause of pollution, climate change, degradation of all eco-systems and finally the potential extinction of not only animals but human beings as well.

PARIS-BASED KENYAN DANCER ANUANG’A PERFORMS AT ALLIANCE FRANCAISE

BY Margaretta wa Gacheru (posted May 5, 2017)

Ever since he shot to fame in 1990 by winning the ‘Win a Car’ Championship, Fernando Anuang’a has performed his Maasai-styled contemporary dance literally all over the world.

Anuang’a returns to the Kenya stage this Saturday when he’ll dance from 4pm at Alliance Francaise. The Kenyan choreographer and dancer will perform his latest choreographed solo piece entitled ‘Traditional Future’.

The Paris-based dancer fell in love with the Maasai-style of vocals and movement during his secondary school days when he first performed at the Kenya National Music Festival. Soon after that and after making that major ‘splash’ during the ‘win-a-car’ competition, Anuang’a joined the Raw Watts contemporary dancers and hasn’t stopped attracting global audiences ever since.

But it was during his travels with the African Heritage Festival in the 1990s that Anuang’a decided he’d have a better future dancing his way around Europe. Making his base in Paris, the Siaya-born dancer has been choreographing and performing his own original works ever since.

‘Traditional Future’ has already been staged in France and Italy, but it will make its Kenyan premiere tomorrow afternoon. It was originally choreographed while Anuang’a was working at the Studio Akili in Lamu. Since then, he’s performed it at the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. It was produced by the renowned French Fashion Designer Pierre Cardin. Subsequently, he danced it at the Theatre Cucinelli in Solomeo, Italy.

Anuang’a’s initial appeal was not just his style of Maasai dance. It was also his beautifully-toned and taut body which he covered in red ochre paint mixed with cow fat. Dressed in a brief red loin-cloth that he’d sparingly draped and snugly wrapped around his waist, the only other accessories he wore were a beaded Maasai necklace and belt.

Anuang’a style of contemporary dance works well with his scanty Maasai-like attire since he seems to flex every single muscle in his lean, muscular body as he performs, moving in a sensual style that only enhances the Maasai mystique.

Meanwhile, at Kenya Cultural Centre the Nairobi Performing Arts Studio just opened its second semester registration for classes that will begin May 15. Further details can be found at the NPA-studio website and on social media.

NURU’S STYLE OF SURREALISM APPEALS TO A NEW GENERATION OF ART LOVERS

BY MARGARETTA WA GACHERU

Nuru Bahati’s Labor Day exhibition, featuring more than 60 black and white paintings together with his prints, posters and stickers had to be one of the smartest and most successful art shows that I’ve seen in quite some time. It was also the shortest art exhibition that I’ve attended in years. It only ran for less than half a day, from 2 to 5pm at the Dust Depo Studio.

Nuru’s a veteran in the Nairobi art world, having seen enough shows to know that exhibition openings are what attract the art-loving public to come see what’s showing. Openings are also when people are most inclined to buy the exhibiting artist’s works.

That’s not to say that Nuru’s a mercenary, painting solely for the sake of sales. But he is a pioneer in the genre of portrait painting that he named biro art. He’s also watched as a multitude of ambitious young Kenyan artists have jumped into that field, saturating the market. So as his current exhibition illustrates, he’s largely moved on into a new field of painting and drawing which is steeped in symbolism and designed in a puzzle-like style.

The only remnant of his previous mode of biro art is one masterful painting of Fela Kuti. The rest of the works in his show cover a wide range of concepts, many of which are depicted with easily identifiable images—everything from safety pins and butterflies to elephants, rhinos and snipers armed with AK47 machine guns. So the imagery might look straight-forward. But the way he assembles and juxtaposes those seemingly simple images, blending them with humor, acuity, irony and a touch of outrage, is anything but easy..

On the contrary, Nuru creates art with a clear intent to get his audience contemplating the meaning of his graphic designs. His work cannot be described as either realism, expressionism, impressionism or even semi-abstract art. Instead, each piece is like a puzzle that one either bypasses as baffling. Or he appreciates for the mystery message that’s apparently hidden within each artwork. So each painting poses a challenge to the viewer: To figure out the message, one must decipher the meaning of each symbol and then connect the dots!

What I found most intriguing about Nuru’s show is the sight of so many young people standing in front of his artworks trying to figure out what each one meant. For instance, what did a safety pin, a planet Earth and a butterfly mean in sum? What did a silhouette of Donald Trump with one man stabbed but seated inside Trump’s outline and atop an upside down Africa imply? And why was the silhouette embedded inside a pussy cat? Might we call Nuru’s style ‘surreal’? I think so.

And what did a smartly dressed man having a light bulb for a head, a brain shaped like a globe focused squarely on Africa and a computer in his hand mean? For me this last image reflected the title of Nuru’s show, which was ‘Rise’. That’s to say it symbolized the rising of the region through technology being rapidly mastered by Africans who are on the move.

Some of his drawings were darker and more disturbing, but all demanded you give them a second or third look. What was most refreshing about Nuru’s show was how many students had attended. Also, how many actually bought samples of his art. Granted the biggest sales were of his ‘stickers’ which were miniatures of his larger paintings. At 50 shillings a piece, Nuru offered a youthful public an opportunity to own an image or two of Nuru’s memorable showcase. His most expensive painting was the one of Fela Kuti But even then, his art’s actually affordable and attractive to young art-lovers as his posters and prints are still priced as less than Sh50,000.  

KEMPINSKI CELEBRATES 120^th ANNIVERSARY WITH KENYAN ART

BY margaretta wa gacheru

Villa Rosa Kempinski hotel can be applauded for partnering with Kenyan artists invited via Kuona Trust to spend a working week at their place, painting everywhere from the front lobby and Lucca restaurant to the K-Lounge Gardens and the Balcony Bar.

Transforming the notion of ‘public art’ from being static statues and monuments into performance art, it was the artists themselves who were ‘performing’ as the public (including hotel guests and staff) witnessed the process of Kenyans creating fresh new artworks in the course of five days.

Wasanii Jukwali Edition 2 (WJ2) had a whole new crop of artists compared to the commendable crew who took part in last year’s WJ1. The big difference between the two events is that 2017 is when Kempinski Hotels are celebrating 120 years since the global group was founded by Berthold Kempinski in Berlin back in 1897. Thus, anniversary celebrations became the central theme suggested to the 14 artists invited to be part in WJ2.  

Last Saturday night’s exhibition, held in the Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, was a beautiful illustration of the wealth of Kenyan artists’ originality and imagination. For in a sense, they were constrained by the Kempinski concept unlike last year which was open ended. But the artists made the most of the theme, each treating the topic in their own individual way.

For instance, Hunnington Gwanzu’s “Transition” highlighted the historical notion of time-travel, from 1897 up to 2017. Waweru Gichuhi’s ‘Beginning of a Dream’ depicted the physical process of the Hotel’s construction; while Anthony Maina offered a bird’s eye view of the luxurious trappings of Kenpinski’s elegant tented camp in Maasai Mara.

Then there was David Thuku whose fascination with hotel uniforms were graphically depicted in paper cuts, Anne Mwariri who painted a 19^th century gaslight and Brian Nyabuti who drew regal hotel furnishings from the Victorian era..

There were three of the 14 who focused on Berthold Kempinski, Ian Njenga, Tabitha wa Thuku and Elijah Mutua. Of the three it was Ian Njenga’s charcoal drawing of Mr Kempinski riding in his fashionable Model T Ford that grabbed public attention on Saturday night. Tabitha’s portrait was also super-realistic and Elijah’s was set against a colorful backdrop that also showed how the man’s influence has transcended time and space.

But the 17 year old artist who’d been expelled from school for drawing what his headmaster believed was ‘demonic art’ was the star of the night! Ian’s drawing didn’t suggest he was a teen as his talent was apparent in his skillful rendering of Kempinski’s facial features as well as his girth.

There were several artists who didn’t feel compelled to stick with the anniversary theme. Nadia Wamuyu, Mike Kyalo, Nayianoi Sitonik and Michael Musyoka all had their minds set on following their own artistic design which frankly added interest and contrast to the overall exhibition.

The one disappointment of the night was the omission of the Art Auction which had been advertised in advance and which could have taken place if someone hadn’t insisted that nobody ‘local’ could conduct an art auction. Apparently, they believed only an imported expat professional auctioneer could do the job, which was not true. To make up for the disappointment, Kempinski’s Marketing Manager Mwingirwa Kithure has promised the hotel will exhibit all the artworks in the hotel for the entire month of May.