Joel Oswaggo

Joel Oswaggo was born in 1944 in Kenya’s Victoria Sea region.

Joel Oswaggo moved to Uganda where he found work as painter and sign writer for a Construction Company from Italy. There his talent was discovered by an Italian colleague called Oresto. He and other Italians where buying pictures from Joel Oswaggo and sending them to Italy as gifts. After five years he returned to Kenya to deal with family commitments. He could not return to Uganda due to the outbreak of the Ugandan Civil war. In 1974 Joel Oswaggo moved to Kisumu to find a market for his paintings and was surviving in the meanwhile as vegetable vendor with a wheelbarrow in the market. It was at Kisumu that he came to know of Gallery Watatu of Nairobi.

Largely self-taught Joel Oswaggo’s work still connects to Kenya’s strong oral story-telling tradition.

Joel Oswaggo’s drawing on paper with the title "The old Man" is a portrayal of the African as a hopeless person who sits in despair waiting for the mercies of God to salvage him.

"Art for Africa", Gallery Schönmüller, Munich, 25.10. – 04.12.2002

 

"Out of Africa", Villa Dessauer, Bamberg, 14.03. – 14.04.2002

"Life Colours", SiemensForum Erlangen, 11.01. – 07.03.2002

"Artists of the gallery", Gallery ZAK, Fürth, Bavaria, 07.05. – 31.12.2001

"Medicine in Contemporary African Art", Gallery ZAK, Fürth, Bavaria, 13.02. – 13.05.1998

 "Art from Kenya", Gallery ZAK, Fürth, Bavaria, 26.09. – 19.11.1997

"AUFBRUCH – Moderne Afrikanische Kunst", Hotel-Pyramide und Euro-Med-Clinic, Fürth, Bavaria,

21.09. – 03.11.1996

"Querschnitt", Gallery ZAK, Fürth, Bavaria, 20.09. – 21.11.1996

"Art from Kenya", Gallery ZAK, Fürth, Bavaria, 17.11.1995 – 22.02.1996