3rd November, 2011
Kenyan artist Shake Makelele visits the AMREF office
This week the AMREF UK office welcomed Kenyan artist Shake Makelele, who designed the images for our African Greetings cards.
Shake, who grew up in Nairobi, trained as a primary school teacher before changing career to become a full time artist almost 20 years ago. After showcasing his work in African art and music festivals in Edinburgh to great reception, Shake received the 2010 Royal Over-Seas League Annual Scholars award which celebrates talented artists from the Commonwealth nations.
He has completed a residency at the Patrick Allen Fraser Foundation in Arbroath this year and his work during this period featured in the ROSL Annual Scholars exhibition.
Inspired by both people and his environment, Shake’s recent work explores the freedom of his working environment whilst on residency in Scotland, expressed most vividly through his vibrant use of colour and free-flowing brushwork.
Shake told us he had always enjoyed painting but his life as a teacher was too busy to allow him enough time to paint, saying, ‘there are always books to mark when you are a teacher!’ The artist said he wouldn’t rule out sharing his art through teaching in the future however.
He said that he was interested in how art projects can be used to help communities, such as AMREF’s Child in need project in Dagoretti which encourages children to use various art forms as a therapeutic rehabilitating tool.
If you would like check out Shake's work and buy some of his cards, please visit our Christmas and Greetings cards page. More of his work is available to view on his website.
And if you’re feeling particularly festive, why not book your tickets for AMREF’s African Christmas Celebration taking place in early Decemeber? You can check out the event on our Facebook page too.