The Nude II Exhibition
One Off is pleased to present
Exhibition Run
30 September 2017 - 7 November 2017 |
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About the Exhibition
The starting point for curating 'The Nude I' was the assumption that almost every artist has attended life drawing classes. From the Renaissance to the present day, drawing the human form is 'art school 101'. When I started to talk about such a show with many Kenyan artists, some unusual and surprising works were presented for consideration.
So popular with the public and with the art community was the show that I was persuaded to quickly embark on a second exhibition with the same theme. 'The Nude II' was born. The works are diverse. I am certain that it will be a rare individual who will like all the submissions but I hope you will enjoy the variety that the show offers. As always, my grateful thanks to all the artists who rose to the challenge with such enthusiasm.
So popular with the public and with the art community was the show that I was persuaded to quickly embark on a second exhibition with the same theme. 'The Nude II' was born. The works are diverse. I am certain that it will be a rare individual who will like all the submissions but I hope you will enjoy the variety that the show offers. As always, my grateful thanks to all the artists who rose to the challenge with such enthusiasm.
Peterson Kamwathi
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“My work is an attempt at depicting the different issues that impact on my society and me and, at times, issues that affect the world as a whole. These issues are social, political or environmental, depending on the specific concerns at the given time.”
Arguably the Kenyan artist with the highest international profile among those still resident in Kenya, Kamwathi already has a work hanging in the British Museum. He has exhibited throughout the world and has participated in residencies in many places. A career which started in the study of animation and went on to print-making offers a possible explanation for the use of dense charcoal as a medium of choice for his pivotal Sitting allowance series: an eight part body of work produced on a monumental scale (each 8’ x 5’) in response to the violent Kenyan election of 2007/8. Kamwathi’s most significant production occurs in several series or clusters as he likes to refer to them: Bulls, Donkeys, Sheep, ‘Sitting Allowance’, and Queues including his works on the new Kenyan Constitution. Earlier work tended to use animals to convey strongly nuanced political messages whilst an ever present thread running through his recent work is his ongoing investigation into the cultural, social, economic and, most importantly, political parameters which shoe-horn society into the ubiquitous queue. The two etchings shown here are part of his current investigation into vessels; everything from container ships and walls, to airplanes and boxes. He lives in Tigoni, Kenya |
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Leena Shah
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Artists statement:
Works of feelings, passion and culture My contemporary abstract and imagery paintings have a fusion of African and Indian influence with rich, vibrant colours and textures. I was born and raised in Kenya and am a self-taught artist from an early age. Art is a Journey for me… I treat each piece as if it has a voice. I wait patiently for it to speak to me and tell me what it wants. It is a spiritual dialogue between my art and me. I like to think that I am breathing life into something that will give enjoyment to others. There is nothing more challenging than filling an empty canvas with colour and texture. I started my journey with chalk and oil and now work with acrylic and mixed media. With this I can really communicate and express my inner feelings, thoughts and the colour of my soul. I use collage elements which are very personal e.g. my mother’s old saris; my daughter’s drawings; collected and found objects such as leaves, stones and beads; old paper be it newsprint or other and a friend’s African Kitenges. My art has progressed in different phases over the years and the places (Thika, New York, London and Johannesburg) I have lived in have brought inspiration and change. Having travelled to over twenty different countries has brought further inspiration to my art. My aim is to have a global audience who can connect with my art. Painting is the vision of my inner journey that is reflected on canvas. The development of my art as an international language has given me great satisfaction and I look forward to transmitting through my paintings the importance that art must have in our lives! |
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Yony Waite
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Born in 1936 on the Pacific Island of Guam, Waite obtained her formative art education at the University of California under the minimalist painter Richard Diebenkorn. She later went on to study in Japan under Sanshiro Ikeda. Her practice is an energetic combination of both the Eastern and Western influence.
A naturalised citizen of Kenya, she was one of the three founders of Gallery Watatu in 1969. She sold the gallery to Ruth Schaffner in the mid eighties but has always been enthusiastically involved in the art scene of Kenya at a grass roots level. With the Wildebeest (a beast that has never been tamed) as a recurring inspiration throughout her artistic life, she has founded the Wildebeest international workshop in Lamu to provide jobs for those without and to stress environmental action. In 1992 she displayed a 52 meter long hand stitched work at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Waite has exhibited her art all over the world. Her works can be seen in the private collections of the Sankara and Serena Hotels in Kenya. |
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Olivia Pendergast
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Olivia Pendergast began creating art as a small child and preferred painting to school recess.
She attended art school for five years at Columbus College of Art and Design (USA) and began painting professionally a year after graduation. Olivia is represented in galleries in the United States, Nairobi and Dubai. She prefers painting figuratives but also enjoys landscapes. Olivia relocated from the Seattle area to Kenya in 2016. She has loved being a part of this show as it has been almost a decade since she has painted nudes. |
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Talal Cockar
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Selected Works from “Truth in Emotion”.
'To create my work, I use varied techniques and materials I learned about as a sign/mural painter and my years spent as a painter in the custom automotive industry. I’ve used faux finishes, ageing and airbrushing techniques, and some experimentation with different materials to create the many layers. Coming also from a Street Art background, I’m used to textured and imperfect surfaces found on the street so it was fun for me to explore the many ways I can create the texture or make it imperfect which, in turn, reflects the nature of human connection. I’m not new to the art scene. I’ve created murals for the University of Wyoming Art Museum, Finch Hattons Luxury Camp, JKIA, among others. In addition to painting, I am also a Movement Coach for kids and adults here in Nairobi. Through this series of paintings, I aim to draw the viewer in, to interact with the work instead of viewing it from the outside. I want to create a situation where the viewer feels various emotions by looking at the pieces without feeling dirty or voyeuristic.' |
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Tabatha wa Thuku
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Born in Kenya at the time of independence, wa Thuku is a self-taught artist who has attended many workshops to learn technique.
She has painted consistently for thirty years. Inspired by her surroundings and influenced by her culture, she says she is ‘a watchdog but her art doesn’t cause a bloody bite. I don’t like art that shouts’. Comfortable in a number of diverse media, wa thuku’s works have honesty and a distinct character. |
Warming, 2017 - Mixed media on canvas - 59 x 74 cm
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Anthony Russell
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Born and raised in Kenya and the UK, Anthony is an artist, designer, musician, philanthropist and conservationist with a passion for lions and Masai culture. Anthony’s public exhibitions and discreet private shows give a substantial percentage of the proceeds to philanthropic initiatives benefiting conservation.
Each series in his collection has been created using photographic images of memorable moments, connections with the natural world, animals and people collected over a thirty-year span. Working mostly with sepia tones, sharply contrasted with vivid tribal images and large iconic photographs, the combination is fused with a unique use of different media. Anthony’s art is a gift that celebrates and honours the African continent and through his work he has found a way to capture an audience and open their eyes to the beauty of Africa. His art has a haunting quality about it and the canvases, imbued with a powerful sensuality, portray a potent sense of what Africa is about – a continent of contradictions, raw earthiness and a compelling beauty like no other. |
Simone - Mixed Media Collage - 206 x 137 cm
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Geoff Weedon
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After a career in advertising as a creative director at J Walter Thompson and latterly at his own agency in London, Geoff Weedon moved to Devon to re-invent himself as an emerging artist
His new series of paintings, “Daughters of Eve”, is inspired by the extraordinary creativity of the tribes of the Omo Valley on the Ethiopian/Kenyan border, who while wearing little else produce fashion from the flora and vegetation of the bush. These new paintings explore the nature of beauty while using a modern aesthetic to portray skin tones which suggest both the scarification the tribes employ and the peeling patina of Roman and Egyptian wall paintings as timeless as the tribes themselves. |
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