Lot 39

Chelenge van Rampelberg (Kenyan born 1960)
La Pieta, circa 2002
Signed ‘C02’ on the base
Ebony wood carving
126 x 42 x 30 cm
KES 600,000 – 900,000
(US$) 4,800 – 7,200
Provenance: Private collection
Sold KES 704,400

Chelenge Rampelberg is Kenya’s first professional female sculptor. She turned to the arts at the age of twenty-five when her then husband discovered her paintings under the bed and showed them to Ruth Schaffner of Nairobi’s premier gallery at the time, Gallery Watatu.

Today, Chelenge is amongst the most respected artists in Kenya. Her wooden sculpture and woodcut plates explore African culture and the minutiae of human relationships.

Chelenge has held a number of solo exhibitions in Kenya and Japan. Her works can be found in numerous collections in Kenya including the Sankara Hotel, Nairobi. In September 2013, Chelenge exhibited a series of painted woodcut plates at One Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Nairobi, primarily depicting gorillas that portrayed the different facets of human nature and emotion.