This archive report was first published on 5 January 2020.
Kenyan Artist Michael Soi's Satirical Artwork at Circle Art Gallery ¶
On display at Circle Art Gallery in Nairobi, Kenya, from January 5 to 10, 2020, is Michael Soi's latest exhibition, 'Heaven can Wait'. The exhibition features 18 pieces of satirical artwork that showcase Soi's unique perspective on society.
Soi's artwork is known for its playful caricatures and cartoon-like portraits of Nairobi's nightlife. However, his latest exhibition takes a more subtle approach, exploring themes of politics and society.
One of the standout pieces in the exhibition is 'Married People', which portrays a husband and wife sharing the bathroom. The painting is a humorous take on the mundane aspects of married life.
Soi's artwork has never been exclusively about life in the bars and discos. He has also had a political edge that often finds its way into his work. In 'Heaven can Wait', this is evident in pieces like 'Mr Headmaster' and 'Everyone Loves Africa'.
'Mr Headmaster' reveals a man dressed in a suit but climbing on the back of a large woman with a beer clutched firmly in hand. He's holding the woman just as tightly. But he's surrounded by gapping eyes of children dressed in school uniforms, taking note of their head teacher's out-of-control conduct.
Another overtly political piece in the exhibition is 'Everyone Loves Africa'. In the past, Soi has created an extensive body of work around the theme, 'China Loves Africa'. But in this piece, he's not only observing one superpower moving in on Africa. 'Everyone' in this case is represented by four grabby hands, each painted with a superpower flag and reaching out towards Africa.
There are also four small circles hovering between the hands, as if to say it's not just the superpowers, EU and the rest, reaching in toward the region. It's also lesser powers involved in the restaging of the 19th century 'Scramble for Africa', only with cooler, more calculating hands.
