Peter Ngugi
Ngugi was born in 1978 in Nairobi, Kenya. He completed his Primary Education Certificate in 1992 and his Secondary Education Certificate in 1996 in Thika on the outskirts of Nairobi. Upon leaving school, he went to Limuru, Kenya, where he worked as a shoe salesman for a year. At this time, Peter used to paint during his free time, but didn’t show his work.
In 1998, he moved back to Thika and started another small business selling shoes. He also met a few artists, who in turn, introduced him to galleries in Nairobi. Ngugi started out as a realistic painter using oils. Later he visited the National Museum’s “Gallery of Contemporary Art” and the works he saw were an inspiration. This encouraged him to develop his own style and his work slowly progressed from realism to a contemporary style. His first group exhibition was at the National Museum of Kenya, “Art Festival” in 1999. The response that he received from that show was so overwhelming that he stopped selling shoes to concentrate on art. |
Selection of works
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Exhibitions2018 - 'Fanta Orange Na Mkate Nusu', One Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
2015 - 'Tomorrow is Today', One Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya 2013 - 'The Pigs of Thika Town', One Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya 2008 - Solo Exhibition, RaMoMA Museum of Modern Art, Nairobi, Kenya 2005 - Solo Exhibition, RaMoMA Museum of Modern Art, Nairobi, Kenya 2002 - Solo Exhibition, RaMoMA Museum of Modern Art, Nairobi, Kenya His work has also been shown in many group exhibitions in Kenya, USA and in Europe. Awards2014 - The Ruth Hunt Wood Kenyan artist’s residency at Kentucky University in Lexington.
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Collectors
PressEastAfrican - 13-10-2018 - GALLERIES: Food for thought is a feast for the eyes
Kenyan Arts Review - 09-10-2018 - PETER NGUGI: ‘WEAPONIZING’ ART WITH PATTERNS OF TRUTH Business Daily - 20-08-2015 - Visual chronicler of Kenyans’ everyday lives and struggles East African - 07-08-2015 - The award for most improved artist goes to… Business Daily - 05-12-2014 - Peter Ngugi: From used cars, shoes salesman to top Kenyan artist EastAfrican - 01-08-2014 - Portraits of a troubled nation Business Daily - 16-05-2013 - Using Political satire to pass message |
Peter Ngugi is exclusively represented in East Africa by One Off