Osei G. Kofi, the Ghanaian born, art lover, is the current Managing Director of Gallery Watatu. Gallery Watatu is the oldest privately owned art gallery of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. Kofi started off by writing about art and with time, grew from this this to collecting contemporary Africa art, to consulting and setting up an art dealing company.
Topic: The challenge for African contemporary art in the international market
Date & Time: Monday 18th July, 2-4pm
Jak Katarikawe, who for many years was described as the Chagall of Africa, received early stimulus from his mother, who painted the walls of houses. Discovered by Prof. Cook from Makerere University, he had his first exhibition at the Nommo Gallery, Kampala (1973), and also in Denmark, Germany, Kenya, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom and USA. “When I remember or listen to a good story, I laugh at it and then later, translate it into a painting”, he says and does the same thing with dreams.
Topic: Down memory lane – development of East African contemporary art
Date & Time: Monday 18th July, 2-5pm
Joseph Bertiers who began his illustrious career as a sign writer, is now one of Kenya’s most famous artists. His paintings feature heavily populated imagined urban scenes of bars, market places and towns. They usually include recognizable Kenyan and international politicians and celebrities in ludicrous settings and are political commentaries of contemporary Kenya. The paintings themselves feature hand painted signs and messages above the bars and shops and there is a clear evidence of his sign writing background.
Topic: Life and works
Date & Time: Wednesday 20th July, 2-5pm
