Important work of Art disappears at the Nairobi National Museum!

Kenya Wed 27-07-2011

Important work of Art disappears at the Nairobi National Museum!
By Margaretta Wa Gacheru| AfricanColours.com

Nairobi, Wednesday

An important work of art by contemporary Kenyan artist, Peterson Kamwathi, went missing on Monday at the Nairobi National Museum, where it was scheduled to be part of an exhibition, curated by Annabelle Hulbert, by international artists from Ireland, England, Germany, India and Kenya.

The exhibition, entitled “Sanctuary: home, away, the common ground (Part 1)” opened July 26 without the work of one of Kenya’s most renowned painters and graphic artists on display.

The painting, which is Untitled, is derived from an ongoing body of work in which Kamwathi is attempting to look at the social symbolism around queues.

Untitled by Peterson Kamwathi

“We are not saying the painting has been stolen as yet,” said a Museum staffer. “We are hoping it will be recovered very soon.”

This disappearance comes just months after the mysterious loss of a masterpiece by the acclaimed Ugandan artist Jak Katarikawe while in transit from Gallery Watatu to its new owner in Europe.

This recent spate of thefts of East African art suggests a new development in the awareness of the value of contemporary African art in the region and abroad. On the one hand, it’s a worrying phenomenon since it implies that the owners of East African art collectors need to think more about the security of their collections.

On the other hand, it’s a sign that contemporary East African art has attained recognition as a valuable asset worthy of acquisition, not only for its aesthetic value but for its financial value as well.

Posted By: Andrew Njoroge

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