Vincent Ouma: Strangle

The last in the exhibition, Strangle is one that also comes off much better in reality than in this photo. When we were going over the paintings to bring back to the US, Vincent, Seth-o and I stood over Vincent's paintings and I pointed to this one, saying I liked it because it was a bit ugly. Seth-o said he agreed, and that he had gotten caught in the rain the day before and he had felt exactly like the central figure in this painting. There's so many ways to look at this painting.

If you'd like more information about this painting, or Vincent Ouma, please contact eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Erick Ayoti: Baby feeding

This is such a tender painting of mother and child, it is gentle and personal.

If you would like more information on this painting, or on Erick Ayoti, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Vincent Ouma: Dunga Beach

Another Lake Victoria scene fishing scene, this time it's the fishermen bringing in their haul from the Lake.

If you'd like more information on this painting, or the Vincent Ouma, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Seth-o Omollo: Small and big fish

Another painting from Seth-o of market women bringing fish to market. Lake Victoria is the mainstay of much of the economy in Kisumu.

If you would like more information on this paintings or on Seth-o Omollo, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Erick Ayoti: Shanti Town

Again, I must admit that I have utterly failed to capture the power of this painting in this photograph. This depicts slum life, in all its dynamic, layered complexity. This is the final one of Erick's very large pieces in this exhibition, and is, again, about six feet by two and a half feet.

For more information on this painting, or on Erick Ayoti, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org

Vincent Ouma: Crazy Society

Vincent pointed to this painting when I asked him which his favorite of his paintings was. It depicts an old man sitting under a tree. On the ground next to where he is sitting is a "weaver bird" coming out of his nest. Weaver birds build amazing nest. As can be surmised from the bird's name, they are intricately woven, like a basket. When one typically thinks of nests, one thinks of something like an indented pillow made of sticks and other natural substances. However, what weaver birds build is much more spherical, with a small opening at the front. They typically hang from trees, and some trees have 15-20 of these nests. In this painting, in the place of the weaver bird nests are typical Kenyan huts. Crazy society, the world turned upside down.

For more information on this painting or on Vincent Ouma, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Seth-o Omollo: Fishing Downstream

This painting is small but to me is one of the most moving paintings in the bunch. It speaks to me of calm, and somehow both peace and melancholy at the same time.

For more information on this painting or on Seth-o Omollo, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Vincent Ouma: Elnino at Manyatta Slum

Here again is a slum scene by Vincent Ouma. This one is a more intimate household scene, the backyard of what is probably a shared compound.

For more information on this painting or Vincent Ouma, email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Erick Ayoti: Church Ladies

This is another of Erick's very large paintings, about 6 feet by 2 and a half feet. Church in Kenya is in many ways the center of the community. Here are the women of that community, making their way to church on what I imagine to be a Sunday morning. . .

For more information about this painting, or Erick Ayoti, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Seth-o Omollo: We Are Off to Market

This is another style of painting from Seth-o, a group of market women bringing their fish to market.

If you have any questions about this painting, or about Seth-o Omollo, please contact eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Erick Ayoti: Modern Maasai

This painting is taller than I am. This painting depicts a member of the Maasai tribe, a nomadic tribe in Kenya and Tanzania. The Maasai are known for being a very proud people, warriers. They wear the very popular Maasai blankets, as you can see in this painting.

If you would like more information about this painting, or about the artist Erick Ayoti, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org

Vincent Ouma: Saving the Boat

Oh, the blue! Again, Vincent Ouma paints the long view over Lake Victoria, from boats and fishermen to the weather on the other side of the inlet.

If you have any questions about this painting, or about Vincent Ouma, please contact eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Erick Ayoti: Boda Boda

OK, I have to give a mea culpa here-- I failed to take a picture that can adequately capture how amazing this painting is. Boda boda, or bicycle taxi drivers, are carrying about their daily activities in chaos, which could be a famous sudden rainstorm (which sometimes results in fist-size hail), or perhaps it's less literal, something to do with order and chaos, daily routines and the swirling madness around them. In any case, this painting is a jaw-dropper. A detail below.


If you would like more information on this painting, or on Erick Ayoti, please contact eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Setho Omollo: The Hunters

The Hunters by Seth-o Omollo reminds me of rock paintings. About 4 years ago, I went to see some rock paintings in Kenya on Mfangano Island, which is near where many of the famous Kenyan archeological sites are. It's not too far from Kisumu, where these artists are based and the population is from the same tribe, the Luo. This thus speaks to a very different type of cultural heritage to some of the other pieces in this lot. This painting has been the favorite of many who peruse these paintings.

For more information about Seth-o or this painting, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Vincent Ouma: Nyanlanda Boda boda

Boda boda in Western Kenya refers to bicycle taxi drivers. Nyanlanda is a slum neighborhood in Kisumu, Kenya, and this photo captures the scene perfectly-- both the stillness of a hot afternoon and the bustling happenings of the town. The way the boda boda is sitting in the foreground and the matatu (bus) is whizzing past will resonate with anyone who has spent time in a small African town.

If you would like more information about this painting, or Vincent Ouma, please email eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Seth-o Omollo: Casting a Net

The photo of this one came out a bit too turquoise, but I think it's still gorgeous. This painting is about 3 1/2 feet by 3 1/2 feet. This painting brings me right back to Lake Victoria, it brings out the stillness, the activity and the serene beauty. I think it even brings out the hot day. Seth-o really captures a day in the life, as it were.

If you want more information on this painting or the artist, please contact eva@mariaslibraries.org.