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<p>The acclaimed artist welcomes us to the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute</p>
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Meet the artists | Michael Armitage

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<p><em>Art Basel’s ‘Meet the artists’ series presents contemporary creatives shaping today’s cultural landscape</em></p>
<p>In this episode of ‘Meet the artists,’ we journey to Nairobi to meet Michael Armitage, a Kenya-born British painter whose work weaves together East African history, folklore, and current events with Western painting traditions. ‘I try not to be too defined and prescriptive over the type of subjects that I will engage with,’ he says in the film. ‘Often they are positions I don’t have a clear moral attitude on […] they’re points of contention.’ His subject matter, coupled with his vibrant palette and use of Lubugo bark cloth – a traditional cloth by the Baganda people of southern Uganda which Armitage uses as a canvas – result in narratively rich and visually complex works. <br> <br>Beyond his practice, Armitage actively fosters the growth of East African art. In 2020, he founded the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI), a non-profit that promotes contemporary art from the region. Through the institute, Armitage is committed to bringing Kenyan art to a broader audience and creating opportunities for emerging local artists. The endeavor mirrors the ethos of his work – a drive to challenge narratives, question norms, and explore the convergence of different cultures. <br> <br>Michael Armitage is represented by <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/1316/White-Cube">White Cube</a> (London, Hong Kong, Palm Beach, New York, Seoul) and <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/1103/David-Zwirner">David Zwirner</a> (New York, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Paris). His exhibition <a href="https://www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at/en/exhibitions/michael-armitage">‘Pathos and the Twilight of the Idle’</a> will be on view at Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria through  October 29, 2023. <br> <br> <br>Production Company: 199xorg <br>Director: Michael Mwangi <br>Producer / DoP: Fred Odede  <br>Editor: Rango Musau <br>Colorist: Enos Olik <br>1st AC / Focus Puller: Ben Kiilu <br>Sound Op: Grishon Onyango <br>Gaffer: Joseph Churu <br>Best Boy: Victor Wangalwa <br>Lighting Assistant: Josephine Wanjiru <br>Grip/Spark: Ken Omutimba <br>Grip Assistant: Fredrick Ochieng <br>Production Assistants: Kennedy Omondi, Dalton Odiyo <br>Driver: Vincent Omega <br> <br>Art Basel  <br>Executive Editor: Coline Milliard  <br>Senior Editor: Alicia Reuter  <br>Video Commissioner and Creative Producer: Jeanne-Salomé Rochat</p>

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<p>Conceived by Hans Ulrich Obrist, this conversation series brings together artists with individuals who have significantly influenced their artistic practice. The artists Ellen Gallagher, Michael Armitage and writer and filmmaker Manthia Diawara meet to discuss their passions and concerns<br></p>
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Conversations

Artists’ Influencers: Manthia Diawara, Ellen Gallagher and more

<p>This conversation brings together representatives of four different projects on the African continent – located in Kumasi, Lagos, Nairobi, and Harare – to discuss their dreams, challenges, politics, and the impact they hope to have on their community and beyond.&nbsp;Yinka Shonibare,&nbsp;Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh,&nbsp;Dana Whabira, and&nbsp;Kaloki Nyamai, moderated by&nbsp;Kadiatou Diallo, discuss: what&nbsp;can we learn from these new organizational models and networks?<br></p>
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Artist-Led Spaces: Learning from the African Continent

<p>The artist uses violence, identity, and contradiction as catalysts for creating work from a place of power</p>

Welcome,

Meet the artists | Michael Armitage

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