Soi: The Three Chapters
An exhibition honouring pioneer Kenyan artist, the late Ancent Soi (1937 – 2022) in collaboration with his son Michael Soi, and featuring a cameo by his granddaughter, Malli Soi.
An exhibition honouring pioneer Kenyan artist, the late Ancent Soi (1937 – 2022) in collaboration with his son Michael Soi, and featuring a cameo by his granddaughter, Malli Soi.
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Chapter I: The Beginning
Growing up in the eighties, we lived in middle class Nairobi as children of mid-level civil servants. Our parents were post-independence economy drivers living in picket fenced terraced houses, going to work in a jacket-and-tie while driving around in white Peugeot 504s. We were children of bankers, accountants, teachers, nurses or that random engineer; so were apples destined not to fall far from the trees.
It was normal for our parents to come home with daily newspapers and apart from the usual politicians and sportspeople, there was one odd man we all recognized. He was probably the only person from our estate who regularly featured in the press and in time became for us kids, the neighbourhood celebrity. He was an artist but our naivety then, couldn't comprehend what an artist really was and were awestruck every time we bumped into him at the grocery store or at the meat shop. That man was Ancent Soi.
Fast forward to the nineties when we started off as budding artists, the information available on the local art practice was quite sketchy. Artists were mainly recognized for their flamboyance, or bad habits. Famous were those who'd spend days on end in the River Road pubs. It helped if you were dreadlocked. There were quiet murmurs in gallery corridors on who commanded the highest prices and it enhanced artists' reputations.
There was a group of much elderly artists whose work was consigned to Gallery Watatu, which was the then premier space but they also had great exhibitions at the French Cultural Center, The Nairobi Museum & the Goethe Institute. Ancent Soi, Joel Oswaggo and Jak Katarikawe had arguably some of the best presentations.
Lack of documentary evidence, coupled with a non-comprehensive research has led to harsh distortions of Kenyan art history with most cultural practitioners only able to reference Galleru Watatu’s golden years (1985-1996). Very few artists have coherent stories about their pre-independence art practice. They come in different versions and are remixed every time they’re shared verbally. Some sound real. Some, outright fictional. Evidence has been traced in some. While some have turned out to be myths - to make the narrative juicier so as to satisfy the hunger created by the demand for naïve African art in western museums.
However, a handful are quite coherent and have remained cast in stone for decades. The story of late collagist Rosemary Karuga; born in Meru, 1928 and graduated from Makerere University, Uganda circa 1952 then went on to a long teaching and practicing career. Of Elimo & Philda Njau (of the Chemi Chemi Creative Arts & Paa Ya Paa in 1965 to date), Gregory Paul Maloba (who started the Kenyatta University Art Department in 1965) and the extraordinary and ever consistent Ancent Soi – he of the Munich Olympics Poster of 1972.
Born in 1937 in Yatta, he started selling woodcarvings and paintings at the Nairobi City Market for a politician friend in the early sixties before venturing into art himself under the tutelage of Congolese artist, Banto, who he said in earlier interviews ‘was the best artist in Kenya’ then.
It was around this time that he entered a painting in the ESSO calendar competition judged by Joseph Murumbi where he won the first prize. His work was subsequently included in the calendar and that marked the beginning of his long partnership with Murumbi and the African Heritage.
Having embarked on his journey as a full time artist, Soi had a prolific career where he made paintings of wildlife and landscapes inspired by the vast Yatta plateau. These were heavily punctuated by the two main ethnic communities that strode the area; Kamba & Maasai, whose traditions and village life form the core of his subject. A highly skilled painter, he was a stickler to detail. This is evident in how he painted his animal coats and the copious hours he’s spend painting the elaborate items of clothing and jewellery that adorn his subjects.
Soi’s career continued to flourish at a time when most African countries were gaining independence and with the Munich Olympics (1972) approaching, Africans were allowed to participate in a competition to make the event’s poster. As fate would have it, he won the first prize (1971). This got him worldwide acclaim as Kenya’s (and probably one of Africa’s) most talented artists.
He was offered a lucrative residency in Munich in 1972 but had to cut it short and come back home for the birth of his first son towards the end of that year. That son is artist Michael, currently one of the most recognizable artists in the region.
Through the seventies into the nineties, Soi exhibited in Japan, the USA, Germany and in every reputable space locally.
It is also during this period that, there was an influx of spaces showing and selling art. This brought a lot of global attention to Kenyan art and with it came, a new generation of post-independent Kenyan artists.
Most old boys, including Ancent Soi had slowed down with age. Over the decades, art from the continent had been presented as a traditional storytelling tool using conventional art making methods - mainly painting & sculpting, but with current trends and new demands, most of them had been pushed to the periphery and rarely got opportunities to exhibit their work, as galleries sought younger artists whose practice was more conceptual.
His most recent exhibition was an African Heritage project at the Nairobi Gallery in 2013. It was good to see his playful paintings in public again. His contribution to this scene has been immense but unfortunately most millennials may never know who he is or recognize his work. The mention of Soi quickly triggers thoughts of the younger Soi, Michael, who followed in his father's footsteps.
Artists like Samuel Wanjau, Elimo Njau, Rosemary Karuga, Edward Njenga, Louis Mwaniki, and many others not mentioned, are vanguards and must be appreciated for their contribution to the Kenyan art scene. However, hats off to who many consider the Godfather of Kenyan Art. He was neither flamboyant nor cool. But after all is said and done, he was there when it all started, did well for himself, his family, the local art industry, and has continued to offer us every day enjoyment through his art for as long as we can remember.
With a career spanning seven decades, Ancent Soi can be summed as the typical self-trained and resilient pre-independence artist who remained relevant post-independence and continued working into the 21st Century.
In other places, they treasure their own. And they remind everyone how important they were. In South Africa, they have Gerard Sekoto, Nigeria has Benedict Enwonwu, Zimbabwe has Thomas Mukarogbwa, Namibia has John Muafangejo... In Kenya, we have Ancent Soi.
Ancent Soi succumbed to age related complications in 2022. His legacy shall forever be cherished. Thank you for the memories, Sir.
Chapter II: Like Father, Like Son
Michael Soi was born in 1972 in Nairobi, Kenya and is the son of Ancent Soi.
In the eighties and early nineties when most parents were insistent on their kids studying for ‘employable white-collar courses’, Michael not only had the privilege of developing his creative skills under the tutelage of his famous father, but had the opportunity to enrol at the Creative Art Centre in Nairobi where he studied Painting and Art History.
From an early age, he had interactions with the existing art institutions and by the time of his graduation had a heads up on information about people and spaces in the arts compared to his peers.
Though the father and son’s careers have led them to different paths as they explore their practices, they have both claimed their space as great storytellers and (maybe) without being deliberate, their use of saturated colours and humour in their image making is indistinguishable.
Michael is inspired by life in Nairobi. His work provides a photographic diary of Nairobi and is a satirical commentary of social, economic and political trends. His work explores relationships - intergenerational, interracial or generally what he calls the economics of love and popular culture within the context of globalization & consumerism.
His highly distinctive style of painting, usually brightly-coloured with black outlines that are illustrative in nature and are both playful and biting. They are informed by a strong tradition of cartoonists whose works have satirized the Kenyan society since independence – often bravely poking fun at the political establishment.
He is a recipient of the 2nd prize in the annual Manjano Competition and Exhibition (2011), was a finalist in the juried Kenya Constitutional Ammendment Award (2000) and was awarded the Top Forty Under 40 (Visual Arts Category) award in the juried competition (1999).
He has participated in numerous workshops & residencies; exhibited widely locally and internationally; and has a huge following of collectors and enthusiasts globally.
Chapter III: The Apple, and the Tree
Granddaughter to a doyen, and daughter to an equally recognizable artist, it was only natural that the apple would fall right under the tree.
Born in 2008, it was a case of déjà vu when Malli M. Soi was introduced to art from a very early age through hanging out at the dad’s studio.
What started off as a convenient way of parenting led to some interest in art that enabled her to start of making small collaborative paintings with her dad, then finally make some on her own.
Currently in high school, the interest has slightly shifted and she is now pursuing Manga Anime, alongside her education.
©Thom Ogonga
16th June 2023
Growing up in the eighties, we lived in middle class Nairobi as children of mid-level civil servants. Our parents were post-independence economy drivers living in picket fenced terraced houses, going to work in a jacket-and-tie while driving around in white Peugeot 504s. We were children of bankers, accountants, teachers, nurses or that random engineer; so were apples destined not to fall far from the trees.
It was normal for our parents to come home with daily newspapers and apart from the usual politicians and sportspeople, there was one odd man we all recognized. He was probably the only person from our estate who regularly featured in the press and in time became for us kids, the neighbourhood celebrity. He was an artist but our naivety then, couldn't comprehend what an artist really was and were awestruck every time we bumped into him at the grocery store or at the meat shop. That man was Ancent Soi.
Fast forward to the nineties when we started off as budding artists, the information available on the local art practice was quite sketchy. Artists were mainly recognized for their flamboyance, or bad habits. Famous were those who'd spend days on end in the River Road pubs. It helped if you were dreadlocked. There were quiet murmurs in gallery corridors on who commanded the highest prices and it enhanced artists' reputations.
There was a group of much elderly artists whose work was consigned to Gallery Watatu, which was the then premier space but they also had great exhibitions at the French Cultural Center, The Nairobi Museum & the Goethe Institute. Ancent Soi, Joel Oswaggo and Jak Katarikawe had arguably some of the best presentations.
Lack of documentary evidence, coupled with a non-comprehensive research has led to harsh distortions of Kenyan art history with most cultural practitioners only able to reference Galleru Watatu’s golden years (1985-1996). Very few artists have coherent stories about their pre-independence art practice. They come in different versions and are remixed every time they’re shared verbally. Some sound real. Some, outright fictional. Evidence has been traced in some. While some have turned out to be myths - to make the narrative juicier so as to satisfy the hunger created by the demand for naïve African art in western museums.
However, a handful are quite coherent and have remained cast in stone for decades. The story of late collagist Rosemary Karuga; born in Meru, 1928 and graduated from Makerere University, Uganda circa 1952 then went on to a long teaching and practicing career. Of Elimo & Philda Njau (of the Chemi Chemi Creative Arts & Paa Ya Paa in 1965 to date), Gregory Paul Maloba (who started the Kenyatta University Art Department in 1965) and the extraordinary and ever consistent Ancent Soi – he of the Munich Olympics Poster of 1972.
Born in 1937 in Yatta, he started selling woodcarvings and paintings at the Nairobi City Market for a politician friend in the early sixties before venturing into art himself under the tutelage of Congolese artist, Banto, who he said in earlier interviews ‘was the best artist in Kenya’ then.
It was around this time that he entered a painting in the ESSO calendar competition judged by Joseph Murumbi where he won the first prize. His work was subsequently included in the calendar and that marked the beginning of his long partnership with Murumbi and the African Heritage.
Having embarked on his journey as a full time artist, Soi had a prolific career where he made paintings of wildlife and landscapes inspired by the vast Yatta plateau. These were heavily punctuated by the two main ethnic communities that strode the area; Kamba & Maasai, whose traditions and village life form the core of his subject. A highly skilled painter, he was a stickler to detail. This is evident in how he painted his animal coats and the copious hours he’s spend painting the elaborate items of clothing and jewellery that adorn his subjects.
Soi’s career continued to flourish at a time when most African countries were gaining independence and with the Munich Olympics (1972) approaching, Africans were allowed to participate in a competition to make the event’s poster. As fate would have it, he won the first prize (1971). This got him worldwide acclaim as Kenya’s (and probably one of Africa’s) most talented artists.
He was offered a lucrative residency in Munich in 1972 but had to cut it short and come back home for the birth of his first son towards the end of that year. That son is artist Michael, currently one of the most recognizable artists in the region.
Through the seventies into the nineties, Soi exhibited in Japan, the USA, Germany and in every reputable space locally.
It is also during this period that, there was an influx of spaces showing and selling art. This brought a lot of global attention to Kenyan art and with it came, a new generation of post-independent Kenyan artists.
Most old boys, including Ancent Soi had slowed down with age. Over the decades, art from the continent had been presented as a traditional storytelling tool using conventional art making methods - mainly painting & sculpting, but with current trends and new demands, most of them had been pushed to the periphery and rarely got opportunities to exhibit their work, as galleries sought younger artists whose practice was more conceptual.
His most recent exhibition was an African Heritage project at the Nairobi Gallery in 2013. It was good to see his playful paintings in public again. His contribution to this scene has been immense but unfortunately most millennials may never know who he is or recognize his work. The mention of Soi quickly triggers thoughts of the younger Soi, Michael, who followed in his father's footsteps.
Artists like Samuel Wanjau, Elimo Njau, Rosemary Karuga, Edward Njenga, Louis Mwaniki, and many others not mentioned, are vanguards and must be appreciated for their contribution to the Kenyan art scene. However, hats off to who many consider the Godfather of Kenyan Art. He was neither flamboyant nor cool. But after all is said and done, he was there when it all started, did well for himself, his family, the local art industry, and has continued to offer us every day enjoyment through his art for as long as we can remember.
With a career spanning seven decades, Ancent Soi can be summed as the typical self-trained and resilient pre-independence artist who remained relevant post-independence and continued working into the 21st Century.
In other places, they treasure their own. And they remind everyone how important they were. In South Africa, they have Gerard Sekoto, Nigeria has Benedict Enwonwu, Zimbabwe has Thomas Mukarogbwa, Namibia has John Muafangejo... In Kenya, we have Ancent Soi.
Ancent Soi succumbed to age related complications in 2022. His legacy shall forever be cherished. Thank you for the memories, Sir.
Chapter II: Like Father, Like Son
Michael Soi was born in 1972 in Nairobi, Kenya and is the son of Ancent Soi.
In the eighties and early nineties when most parents were insistent on their kids studying for ‘employable white-collar courses’, Michael not only had the privilege of developing his creative skills under the tutelage of his famous father, but had the opportunity to enrol at the Creative Art Centre in Nairobi where he studied Painting and Art History.
From an early age, he had interactions with the existing art institutions and by the time of his graduation had a heads up on information about people and spaces in the arts compared to his peers.
Though the father and son’s careers have led them to different paths as they explore their practices, they have both claimed their space as great storytellers and (maybe) without being deliberate, their use of saturated colours and humour in their image making is indistinguishable.
Michael is inspired by life in Nairobi. His work provides a photographic diary of Nairobi and is a satirical commentary of social, economic and political trends. His work explores relationships - intergenerational, interracial or generally what he calls the economics of love and popular culture within the context of globalization & consumerism.
His highly distinctive style of painting, usually brightly-coloured with black outlines that are illustrative in nature and are both playful and biting. They are informed by a strong tradition of cartoonists whose works have satirized the Kenyan society since independence – often bravely poking fun at the political establishment.
He is a recipient of the 2nd prize in the annual Manjano Competition and Exhibition (2011), was a finalist in the juried Kenya Constitutional Ammendment Award (2000) and was awarded the Top Forty Under 40 (Visual Arts Category) award in the juried competition (1999).
He has participated in numerous workshops & residencies; exhibited widely locally and internationally; and has a huge following of collectors and enthusiasts globally.
Chapter III: The Apple, and the Tree
Granddaughter to a doyen, and daughter to an equally recognizable artist, it was only natural that the apple would fall right under the tree.
Born in 2008, it was a case of déjà vu when Malli M. Soi was introduced to art from a very early age through hanging out at the dad’s studio.
What started off as a convenient way of parenting led to some interest in art that enabled her to start of making small collaborative paintings with her dad, then finally make some on her own.
Currently in high school, the interest has slightly shifted and she is now pursuing Manga Anime, alongside her education.
©Thom Ogonga
16th June 2023
