Kay Chiromoartist • painterChigaru (Malawi) 1951-1994 Malawi

Kay Chiromo is considered one of Malawi's most famous artists. Born in Makoka Village, Chigaru in the Blantyre district in 1951, Chiromo raises the cultural prestige of the African country with his paintings. He was also adept as a documentary maker and book illustrator. Chiromo studied under the first generation of woodworkers in Malawi, including Jibu Sani, but soon moved on to painting, sometimes incorporating materials such as sand or textiles for a three-dimensional effect. As one of the first artists in Malawi to work with paint on canvas and thus provide the African country with a modern cultural heritage, his work became popular worldwide from the 1980s. His paintings have been exhibited from the United States and Canada to Zambia and South Africa. Chiromo's talent did not go unnoticed, and in 1986 he graduated from the private art school Pratt Institute in New York. Returning to his homeland, Chiromo inspired younger generations as head of the art department at the University of Malawi. To this day, his work can be found in galleries all over the world and Chiromo knows how to inspire new generations of collectors as well as African artists.