So I was just trackbacking a google search request on kenya+referendum+blog I’d found in my site stats and landed on Ruud Elmendorp’s blog – a Dutch video journalist who has published some of his nice videos on his website. Among those featured videos, there’s one on Bertiers – that very special Kenyan "signboard artist" from Dagoretti, Nairobi, Kenya.
Some time ago I already blogged about other Kenyan artists like Shine Tani, Joel Oswaggo, Maube and Evanson Kangethe (in german, though) and was quite happy when Bwana Shine Tani himself commented on it two weeks ago. Yes, I like East African artists and I know there are even many more, many talented and unique artists that don’t need to sell their drawings at such a low price in order to be promoted and accepted by the western world. So, Thank You, Bwana Bertiers and Bwana Elmendorp for putting even more awareness of Contemporary African Art on the Internet. I think it’s about time my fellow Europeans realize there’s much more to African Art than just batics, wood carvings and Sisal Baskets ("kîondo"). Maybe one day soon I’ll be able to take more pictures so we could at least share them on flickr…
Update: I just figured out the song Ruud uses as the intro background tune for this fine (but too short!) documentary: M’bilia Bel’s "Nakei Nairobi" … YEAH!
well said. Hey…have you seen kuonatrust.org? There are some amazing artists there.
Thanks for the video jke, I still got Bertiers’ painting of our graduation back in 1996… long time ago.
I would not have said it any better. African art for the longest time has been viewed as the masks, kiondos ,batics but there exists the contemporary art that is exciting and has not been marketed well and yes sold at a very cheap compared to some western art . I think lack of appreciation is even worse in US than in Europe or so I think. Thanks for a voicing this on your blog.Always nice to see someone promoting our Kenyan /African talent!
Hey JKE, I have just seen Ruud Elmendorp’s blog – interesting stuff there.