Tuesday 9 October 2012

JAK KATARIKAWE UGANDA BORN ARTIST WHO STAYED IN AHOTEL FOR OVER 32 YEARS


Majority of Kenya and lovers and promoters call him Professor even though he had never been to School beyond class  three
His real  name is  Moses Jak Katarikawe  Uganda born  painter based in  Nairobi whose creation  had attracted   both local and   international art promoters
The East Africa highly selling  artist made history by staying  atNorlfolk Towers Apartment for over 32 years before moving to  his  new base on forest  road where  he had    turned   his house into  semiartstudio
Katarikawe start  staying at  the apartment over 32   years  back with other top Indians painters and   European but they moved  because the rent was to high
Among the artist  included Kamah Shaha,Yoney Waite among who are also top selling  painters whose work are   scattered at the leading  at   center  around the  World.
That is   not   or   about  Katarikawe the artist  made  a record  of  employing  Indian as   a cook something  which  no  other  Africa artist  had  ever   done
The   artist   was  born   in  Uganda and   attended    class     to  class three due  to  School fee he told  media recently during  interview  at  his  new base on  forest  road.
Her mother  was a potter who  is  believed   to    have  motivated  him  into painting while  still  a young  boy because  majority  of  his  painting reflect  Uganda    traditional
Katarikawe   spend  most of     his  childhood   looking  after   his   fathers animals something  which    he   liked  very   much.
Like any  other    youth he   later moved to   the  city of  Uganda  Kampala to \  look  for   a job and   ends  up  becoming   tax  driver,  Kmpala  like  any  other  city in  Africa  people used to steal  lyres at  night
He later  moved   to  Makerere University where  he   landed a job   as   a professor  driver  while he  was waiting  for  his  boss  he  used to  draw on  the sand and  papers   when  the Professor  realized  that  Katarikawe was talented  painter he  allowed him  to zoom  with  paintings.
The Professor  provided  him   with  materials  and   allow him  to  use  the University     space  and  that was the rise  of  Jak Katarikawe the most  admired  painter  in  East Africa
Due to  his  hard  working  he later  become  music   demonstrator  at  Makerere  University and  while there he  come  face   to  face   with  James  Ngugi  who later  becomes  Ngugi  wa Thiong, Mwai  Kibaki now  President  of  Kenya  among  others.
When  Amin took  over Jak move  to  Nairobi and  become  amember  of  Gallery  Watatu  artsit  and by  that  time the center  was the leading in the region
He  start  by  staying  at  Hilton  Hotel and  since then  the artist  moved   from  one  hotel   to  another    before  moving  to  Norfolk hotel  were   he  stayed  for    over  32  years  making  history because  even  educated   people can  not  afford such    apartment
It  was the late  Ruth  Schaffuner  Gallery  Watatu founder  who  helped  him  very     much  to  climb  the ladder of  success he  told  media last week.
Since  then  he  had  staged  numerous  exhibition both locally  and  internationally while  his work  are  scattered  at  the leading art    centers  and   museums  around  the World and  in  Nairobi they  can be founded at  National  Museum   of  Kenya,  Gallery  Watatu, Village  Market among  others
He  made history by  staging  the  first  ever traveling  exhibition  which  marked  the opening     of  Nairobi  Gallery  and later   moved  to  Makerere  University  were    he started  his artistic    journey
What is  interesting  with  Jak  he buys both  regional  and  local  news papers  dairy  and he  mostly  likes  cartoons  and  art page.
Most of his children including  his wife   Florence Katarikawe are artsit  he  plans to stage  the first ever  family exhibition  in  Nairobi  when the time come
picture 1 Katarikawe working  on  his  latest  painting in the photo  is  his grandson
picture  two  animal  picture  painting by  his   wife

1 comment:

  1. Today Prof.Jak Katarikawe, Resides at Mitico Apartments 4 th floor, Suite no. B12
    Forest road, Opp. Simba sports club, Next shell petrol station, Nairobi, Kenya.
    Cellphone +254652528 he is still strong and doing well as usual, i like his new style of his latest Art paintings.

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