Virtual tour: Michael Armitage, Paradise Edict
Published on 25 July 2021
Can't visit the RA right now? Explore the colourful, dreamlike works of Kenya-born artist Michael Armitage from your sofa, in our latest virtual tour.
Michael Armitage is a Kenyan-born artist who works between Nairobi and London. His provocative paintings play with visual narratives and challenge cultural assumptions, exploring politics, history, civil unrest and sexuality. Just over 10 years since Armitage graduated from the Royal Academy Schools, this exhibition brings together 15 of his large-scale paintings from the past six years, alongside 31 works by six East African contemporary artists chosen by Armitage. These artists – Meek Gichugu, Jak Katarikawe, Theresa Musoke, Asaph Ng’ethe Macua, Elimo Njau and Sane Wadu – influenced Armitage's own development, and played an important role in shaping figurative painting in Kenya. Additionally, Armitage has also selected sculptures by three Kenyan artists – Wangechi Mutu, Magdalene Odundo and Chelenge van Rampelberg – that will be displayed in The Dame Jillian Sackler Sculpture Gallery, just outside the exhibition galleries.
Visit the exhibition at the RA
This year – just over 10 years since Armitage graduated from the RA Schools – we bring together 15 of his large-scale paintings from the past six years, exploring East African landscapes, politics and society, alongside 31 works by six East African contemporary artists: Meek Gichugu, Jak Katarikawe, Theresa Musoke, Asaph Ng’ethe Macua, Elimo Njau and Sane Wadu.
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