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Erick Sande Shitawah
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Artist profile ， Archive record
Erick Sande Shitawah
Erick Sande Shitawah is a Kenyan contemporary artist born in 1974 in Mumias, western Kenya. He initially trained as a graphic designer at The Kenya Polytechnic before developing his career as a painter.
Born 1974 Mumias, western Kenya Painting, particularly acrylic painting
Also known as Erick Sande
Training Graphic design; subsequent professional development in painting
01 - Photographs
Artist photographs
02 - Introduction
The artist behind the stories
Sande's artistic practice can be understood as a combination of cultural memory, imagination and contemporary Kenyan experience.
His early work reportedly drew heavily from Abaluyia traditions and mythology. Over time, however, his subject matter became broader. The available biography describes an expansion toward multiculturalism, patriotism and Kenyan athleticism, with sport and physical movement becoming ways of thinking about national identity and unity.
His paintings don't necessarily present objects in a strictly realistic manner. Instead, different forms appear to merge into one another. For example, the description of Steeplechase Gymnasium notes how a continuous outline connects a dancing figure, a bird, shells and a house, creating a visual world in which separate things appear to share the same substance.
That characteristic makes fusion and transformation important concepts when describing his work.
At a glance
artist's full name
Erick Sande Shitawah
also known as
Erick Sande
born
1974
birthplace
Mumias, western Kenya
nationality
Kenyan
medium
Painting, particularly acrylic painting
education
Trained as a graphic designer at The Kenya Polytechnic.
training
Graphic design; subsequent professional development in painting
gallery watatu
Major early-career connection; his 1995 meeting with Ruth Schaffner is described as launching his career in Nairobi's art community.
known for
Symbolic and expressionistic figurative painting, cultural mythology, Kenyan identity, multiculturalism, patriotism and athleticism
active period
1990s–present
Biography
Sande was born in 1974 in Mumias, western Kenya.
His early artistic development is associated with Abaluyia tradition and mythology, which subsequently became one of the foundations from which his broader artistic vocabulary developed.
There is currently limited publicly available information about his childhood, family, early schooling or the specific circumstances in which he first began drawing or painting.
03 - Education
Education
He trained as a graphic designer at The Kenya Polytechnic before turning increasingly toward painting.
04 - Artistic practice
Artistic practice
Materials
Acrylic paint, Canvas, Stretched canvas
Techniques
Figurative distortion, Symbolic combination, Visual fusion, Strong outlining, Expressionistic treatment
Working methods
continual fusion and experimentation
Themes
Community Culture Everyday narratives Memory Social life Urban life
Subjects
Crowds Families Markets Streets Urban environments Workers
05 - Historical context
Gallery Watatu connection
06 - Oral history
Conversations with Erick Sande Shitawah
07 - Artists & people
Relationships & networks
08 - Exhibition history
Selected exhibitions
A record of key exhibitions that have showcased the work, vision and journey of the artist.
09 - Documentation
Archival materials & sources
- Artist photographs
- Exhibition catalogues
- Invitations and posters
- Artwork photographs
- Press coverage
- Letters and correspondence
- Interview recordings and transcripts
- Artist interview
- Gallery archive materials
- Published articles and reviews
- Oral histories and personal recollections
