MICHAEL ARMITAGE

Michael Armitage’s pictorial narratives look to the visual iconography of East Africa. To create his panoramic visions, Armitage draws from historical and current events,

the media, and his own memories. He paints atop Lubugo, a Ugandan cloth made from bark that has been beaten and flattened over a period of days. Ultimately, Armitage understands art to be a vehicle for social change and he encourages viewers of his work to gaze directly at the worlds he reveals.

Armitage was born in Nairobi and now splits his time between Nairobi and London.

He received his BFA from the Slade School of Fine Art, London. He has had recent solo exhibitions at Kunsthalle Basel, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, and the Royal Academy in London. In 2020, Armitage opened the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute to showcase art by East African artists. In 2021, he was elected a Royal Academician of Painting.

  • Area: Artist