Circle Art Auction 2017, Lot 29 Dennis Muraguri

Dennis Muraguri (Kenyan, born 1980)
Matatu, 2015
Signed ‘Muraguri 015’ (lower right)
Edition 1/2 woodcut print on paper
122.5 x 215.5 cm

Ksh 600,000-800,000
(US$ 5,600-7,480)
Sold Ksh 645,700

Provenance: direct from the artist

Dennis Muraguri has been working as a multimedia artist in Nairobi for the last 13 years. He has become well-recognized for his body of work inspired by matatus (Kenyan vehicles that are the main mode of public transport). He has used printmaking, painting and installation to explore the visual iconography of the matatus and their reflection of the urban culture of contemporary Nairobi.

This monumental reduction woodcut is the first from a variable edition of 2. Muraguri’s ambitious and experimental process involves the use of unconventional carving tools and printing methods. Each print is hand inked and pressed, making every impression unique.

Muraguri graduated from Buru Buru Institute of Fine Arts, Nairobi, with a Diploma in Painting and Art History. He has exhibited widely in Kenya, holding a solo exhibition at Circle Art Gallery earlier this year, and in 2014 was selected as one of ten artists from across East Africa to exhibit in the Kampala Contemporary Art Festival, KLA ART 014.