Theresa Musoke (Ugandan, born c. 1944)
The Crested Crane, circa 1972
Signed ‘Theresa Musoke’ (lower right)
Edition 1/1 artist proof silkscreen print
52 x 63 cm
Ksh 80,000-100,000
(US$ 730-910)
Sold Ksh 281,760
Provenance: private collection
Theresa Musoke is best known for her expressive portrayals of African wildlife, using a range of media to develop ideas. Her work first began to receive attention while she was an undergraduate fine art student at Makerere University, after which she received a scholarship to study for a masters in printing at the Royal College of Art in London.
Musoke then returned to live in East Africa where she was based in Nairobi for many years. In 1965 she became the first female artist to have a solo exhibition in post-independence Kenya.
This rare artist proof silkscreen of crested cranes, the national emblem of Uganda, was given by Musoke to the seller, who had been Musoke’s art tutor at Makerere in the 1960s.