Rosemary N Karuga (Kenyan, born 1928)
Untitled, 1990
Signed ‘4/2/98 Rosemary N Karuga’ (lower right)
Paper collage
58 x 42cm
Ksh 120,000-180,000
US$ 1,365-2,045
Sold post-auction
Provenance: private collection
Karuga was the first Kenyan woman to attend Makerere University in Uganda where she studied from 1950–52. On graduating she struggled to make a living as an artist and her principal profession was teaching. On retirement, she began creating collages that so impressed those who saw them that she gained a profile illustrating books and then exhibiting, particularly in France. Her international reputation grew when she was part of a group show alongside El Anatsui and Ablade Glover at the Studio Museum in New York in1990. She has since featured in many international exhibitions.
Karuga’s technique remains consistent – using coloured paper, scissors and glue to create ingenious, characterful portraits of Kenyan daily life and fables.