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"Art, by the lake" Lake expo to show case Kisumu's finest paintings

An exhibition to showcase art works from the Lake Basin region dubbed the Lake Expo was officially launched this Tuesday at the Creativity Gallery, National Museum.

Admirably hanging on the walls at the gallery are the detailed paintings from five of Kisumu’s finest artists, with all their pieces mainly influenced by the lake and its environment, the fishing activities, businesses at the lake shore and the lifestyles of the residents.

Some of the notable paintings at the gallery include the market and fish series by Patrick Adoyo, founder and Chairman of the Lake Basin Art Group (LBAG), who are the organisers of the expo. The group has more than 30 artists.

“Many artists in Kisumu are just but roadside painters, hawking their sculptures with little exposure and finding themselves struggling to earn a living with brilliant pieces that would otherwise fetch good money if exhibited in a prime platform such as this one,” he noted.

LBAG, which is a free membership group, was formed with the aim of empowering the artisans through sharing of knowledge and increasing their exposure, for example, through such organised exhibitions, according to Adoyo.

With prospects of increased tourism in the region, largely attributed to the upgrading of the Kisumu Airport to an international status and the more recently announced move to mark the tourist attraction sites in the Western circuit, art is seen as a likely major beneficiary.

FOREIGN MONEY-GRAIL

Adoyo says the Kenyan art scene in general is widely dependent on foreign tourists, and that for the past two years it has been difficult times for painters across the country as many have hardly make good money.

Echoing this statement is Willis Otieno who affirms that foreigners buy a lot of art works as compared to locals. He appeals to Kenyans to embrace art.

“More local painters are now doing big paintings targeting people with homes. However they attract very low prices, especially compared to those that foreign buyers offer,” he observed.

The Lake Expo runs for a month. The organisers argue that reluctance among corporates to sponsor art events has been another major impediment to the growth of the sector.

“For example, it’s worth not less than Sh80,000 to book a space at the Village Market for a 12-day exhibition. This is without considering other miscellaneous costs like transportation and storage fees,” says Adoyo, who is also the head of exhibits at the National Museum.

Other challenges facing exhibitors include pricing; according to Adoyo, many artistes, both the budding and the established ones, find it difficult to place a price tag on their art pieces.

“That is understandable, as it difficult to put a price on art. If a piece of art is likeable, no matter the price tag, if someone is willing to buy it, they will. And the opposite is also true,” he stated.

EMERGING LOCAL GALLERIES

Other players in the visual art scene have attributed the rising prices of art pieces in the country to the increasing appreciation of local artistes especially in auctions and also the emergence of private galleries. Adoyo says the high price of art can also be as a result of huge commission demanded by private gallery owners, where some demand half the selling price.

In its fourth edition at the National Museum, this years’ Lake Expo comprises 39 pieces from Patrick Adoyo, Vivick Odhiambo, Meshack Odera and Willis Otieno.

Others include the youngest exhibitor, Daniel Ochieng’, son to Patrick Adoyo who recently graduated from Multimedia University and the late Jimmy Rukuru, whose painting is also on display.

“In past exhibitions we have had a considerable amount of sales and we recently were commissioned to work on the Savana Mural at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,” Adoyo further stated. They have previously held events at the Village Market, Banana Hill and Kisumu.

 

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