Magazine
Cheery wave from the walls
Police Control by Said Mkumba
Posted Monday, October 5 2009 at 00:00
Another delightful surprise was the low cost of some of these works.
At Le Rustique for example the 26 on show ranged from $120 to $333 (half of them had sold after only three days) and elsewhere they can be even cheaper.
The Banana Hill Art Studio has a selection, starting at as little as US$40 … but prices can be a whole lot higher.
The Watatu Gallery in Nairobi city centre has a few pictures by Edward Saidi Tingatinga himself, the man who started it all — and they range from $6,000 to a thumping $12,000 apiece.
They are simpler, far less intricate than those of his students, whose paintings seem to me to be a bargain.
A little fussy for some tastes perhaps, and lacking the austere strength of their master’s works, they nonetheless radiate charm.
Tingatinga paintings give you a cheery wave from the walls — and they certainly added a smile to my day.
Frank Whalley runs Lenga Juu, a fine arts and media consultancy based in Nairobi.
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