Birth of Jesus with Magi and Celestial Observers

Images(2)

Birth of Jesus with Magi and Celestial Observers

Artist Ancent Soi Kenyan, 1937–2022, born Mbiuni, active Nairobi

Date1997

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions34 × 23 × 7/8 in. (86.4 × 58.4 × 2.2 cm)
Canvas is 34 in. high on right edge, but only 33 in. high on left edge

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineGift of Dr. R. T. K. Scully

Object number2020.4.1

On View

On view

Label TextAncent Soi was a self-taught muralist whose compositions consist of bright, bold colors and expansive forms. Hailing from the Kamba people of eastern Kenya, Soi's work mixes indigenous cosmology with Catholic imagery, creating a hybrid style of influences. The artist is associated with the "jua kali" style ("hot sun" in Swahili), known for its use of recycled materials. Soi’s first works, from the 1960s, were displayed at a shop in Nairobi’s Central Market; his scenes of rural Kenyan life quickly became popular among tourist patrons and local religious groups. This led to the artist obtaining a commission of a mural for the 1972 Munich Olympics, which garnered international acclaim.

Birth of Jesus with Magi and Celestial Observers adapts Christian figures and symbolism for a Kenyan audience, while others of Soi's works depict scenes of Kenyan rural life—a popular subject requested by foreigners. Imagery of cattle are central, as the animals are critical to the Kamba economy. When taken together, Soi's works show the range of patronage even one artist can receive—churches and religious organizations, foreigners and tourists, and Kenyan religious devotees.

ProvenanceCreated Nairobi, Kenya, 1997; collection of the artist; sold by artist at his studio to Dr. R. T. K. Scully, Raleigh, NC, 1997; given to NCMA, 2020. Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "Modern Pop: Modernism and Popular Arts in Kenya and Ethiopia" (Focus On Contemporary African Arts gallery), August 20, 2019-June 20, 2021.

Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection Reimagined" (Thematic Gallery: "Devotion and the Arts in the People's Collection"), June 7, 2025-present. Object Rights Statement

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