Images(2)

Kamba Village at Milking Time

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

Date1996

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions32 1/4 × 40 1/8 × 1 1/2 in. (81.9 × 101.9 × 3.8 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

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

Object number2020.4.2

On View

Not 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.

Kamba Village at Milking Time depicts 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, 1996; collection of the artist; sold by artist at his studio to Dr. R. T. K. Scully, Raleigh, NC, 1996; 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. Object Rights Statement

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