Artists paint for elephants as painting sells for 0.5m

The paint is not yet dry on 'A Family of Elephants', an oil painting by Samuel Githui, a freelance artist, but it has already been sold for a staggering Sh500,000 at an auction on Saturday evening at an invite-only event held at the Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi.

The painting featured two scenes: one of a robust elephant leading its young across a parched landscape while the other scene shows the younger elephant ahead of its senior who is in the throes of death, poignantly painting a bleak future for the vulnerable youngster.

At the auction were other art pieces in various mediums by a selection of artists under the Kuona Trust taking part in the premier ‘Wasanii Jukwaani’ project, a weeklong exhibition where artists took the stage to create their masterpieces under the very noses of the people they hoped to sell the pieces to in the most unlikely of places.

Kenyan art bloomed alongside imported designer roses as artists interacted with the guests who got a front row seat to the creative process that goes into art.

SILENT POTENT POWER

The project, which loosely translates as ‘artists on stage’ whose theme was Conservation of Elephants involved Kenyan artists, carefully selected, based on their artistic prowess, including Collins Okelo, famously renowned for sketching Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Barack Obama’s portrait that was gifted to him during his Kenyan visit; Collins Irungu of Maasai Mbili and handerson Kiruri, a graffiti artist from Korogocho. Jessica Atieno from Kuona Trust Art Centre, was the only woman at the exhibition.

The artists got the rare opportunity tell their elephant story in their preferred mediums to guests at the five-star hotel. The outcome of which were a psychedelic elephant of desertification and disappearing oceans, a pencil sketch of a tender moment between two elephants that got painted over with a more commercial painting of the ivory trade that was the evening's second bestseller, fetching over Sh400,000.

A drowning elephant as well as an hourglass with elephants instead of sand and the crowd's favourite: a painting of a wanted ivory kingpin enjoying a luxurious good life seated on a Game of Thronesque throne of tusks in the resemblance of evil boy King Joffrey.

Corporates with elephants logos got some polite advice on how to conserve jumbos: a leading retailer's jumbo was decorated with plastic bags and bottles with a call to recycle while a popular beer had their elephant celebrating with game rangers.

There too was a painting of a breaking news after an activist elephant interrupted a press conference no doubt fed up with the runaway poaching.

Proceeds from the will be shared between the artists and Wild Aid who will channel the funds into elephant conservation.

Manish Nambiar, Villa Rosa Kempinski General Manager said the inaugural event had been a success with 11 paintings out of 15 paintings having been bid for. “We had more than 150 guests in attendance during the auction of over a dozen artworks that were created by 15 artists in our hotel lobby within a space of 5 days.”

Mr Mambiar said the project would henceforth become an annual event. “We will always support artists because we believe they possess silent but potent power through their brush and paint. Kenya has amazing artists that need a platform to showcase their skill and talent.

The exhibition was staged as Kenya attracted global attention as it prepared and subsequently burnt the largest stockpile of ivory and illegal wildlife products in an effort to end the runaway poaching that threatens the existence of elephants and rhinos.

Artists in the project

Handerson Kiruri Painting in graffiti,

Shabu Mwangi working on mixed media on canvas

Collins Okello working with charcoal and acrylics

Mosoti Kepha whose mediums are wood, metal and wires

Kevin Irungu painting and recycled objects

Boniface Maina painting and drawing

James Njoroge works across various platforms

Jessica Atieno working with acrylics, pastels and charcoal

Clavers Odhiambo painting in oil and acrylic

Joseph Weche painting on canvas

Samuel Githui painting and drawing