Rosemary Karuga Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1928 -

Rosemary Karuga (born 1928) is a Kenyan visual artist.[1] In 2017, she was named Artist of the Month by the National Museums of Kenya. She is known to be the first woman artist to have studied at Makerere University.

Karuga was born in 1928 in Meru, Kenya. She attended Makerere University in Kampala where she studied design, painting and sculpture. She currently lives in the United Kingdom.

After completing her education at Makerere University in Kampala, she moved back to Kenya worked as a teacher.She retired from teaching in the 1980s to pursue arts professionally. In 1987, she became an Artist in Residence at the Paa ya Paa Arts Centre in Nairobi. She usually creates collage arts using the paper packaging from Rexona soap and Unga flour.[1] In the 1990s she was commissioned to illustrate Amos Tutuola’s magical book, The Palm Wine Drinkard. Subsequently, her collage ‘illustrations’ were exhibited in Paris, London and in the Studio Museum in Harlem, USA.

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  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan 1928 – 2021) Yellow Bird, 1991
    Nov. 06, 2024

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan 1928 – 2021) Yellow Bird, 1991

    Est: KSh300,000 - KSh400,000

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan 1928 – 2021) Yellow Bird, 1991 Signed ‘27/09/1991 Rosemary Karuga’ (mid-right edge) Inscribed verso ‘Yellow Birds, 17 ¾” x 12”, Rosemary Karuga’ Paper collage 44.5 x 29.5 cm

    Art Auction East Africa
  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan 1928 – 2021) Mother and Child, undated
    Nov. 06, 2024

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan 1928 – 2021) Mother and Child, undated

    Est: KSh300,000 - KSh500,000

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan 1928 – 2021) Mother and Child, undated Unsigned Clay 38 x 19 x 13 cm

    Art Auction East Africa
  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Mother and Child, circa 1960s
    Nov. 15, 2023

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Mother and Child, circa 1960s

    Est: $4,000 - $7,000

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Mother and Child, circa 1960s Clay 48 x 27 x 44.3 cm

    Art Auction East Africa
  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Untitled (Pounding and Chopping), 1992
    Nov. 15, 2023

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Untitled (Pounding and Chopping), 1992

    Est: $3,000 - $4,000

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Untitled (Pounding and Chopping), 1992 Signed ‘25/8/92 Rosemary N Karuga’ (lower right) Collage on paper 57.5 x 41.3cm

    Art Auction East Africa
  • Rosemary Karuga, Kenyan 1928-2021, untitled, African Artists in Kenya
    Oct. 14, 2023

    Rosemary Karuga, Kenyan 1928-2021, untitled, African Artists in Kenya

    Est: $150 - $250

    Rosemary Karuga Kenyan, 1928-2021 untitled, African Artists in Kenya c. 1985-1990 poster (offset lithograph) 21-1/2 x 16 inches (sheet) unsigned Published by the American Women's Association to benefit African artists in Kenya.

    Black Art Auction
  • Rosemary Karuga Collage of Figure
    Jul. 19, 2023

    Rosemary Karuga Collage of Figure

    Est: $1,000 - $2,000

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928-2021). Collage on paper depicting a figure pouring items out of a basket. Karuga was a teacher of renowned ceramicist Magdalene Odundo and has been associated with Wangechi Mutu. She was the first female artist to have studied at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

    Revere Auctions
  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 – 2021), The Family, circa 1960
    Nov. 08, 2022

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 – 2021), The Family, circa 1960

    Est: KSh250,000 - KSh700,000

    Rosemary Karuga’s lifetime of remarkable achievements has placed her as a major figure in Kenya’s modern art history. In 1950 she became the first female student to attend the Margaret Trowell School of Fine and Applied Arts in Kampala, where she trained in clay work, wood carving and stone carving. Following her graduation, Karuga worked for many years as an art teacher in rural Kenya and it was only on her retirement, at nearly 60 years old, that she pursued a professional art practice. Karuga’s international reputation grew when she exhibited in a group show alongside El Anatsui and Ablade Glover at the Studio Museum in New York in 1990. She was asked to illustrate a book by the Yoruba writer Amos Tutuola and the resulting exhibition took the artist and her collage works to Paris. As well as continuing to feature in international exhibitions, Karuga’s recognition increased at home as one of Gallery Watatu’s most highly esteemed artists, and in 2017 she was named Artist of the Month by the National Museums of Kenya. Karuga passed away this year in Ireland, where she had lived since 2006. This large scale clay sculpture is a rare example of her three dimensional work and will the first time many people have seen her sculptures.

    Art Auction East Africa
  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 – 2021), Untitled (Three Birds), circa 1990s
    Nov. 08, 2022

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 – 2021), Untitled (Three Birds), circa 1990s

    Est: KSh200,000 - KSh300,000

    Rosemary Karuga’s lifetime of remarkable achievements has placed her as a major figure in Kenya’s modern art history. In 1950 she became the first female student to attend the Margaret Trowell School of Fine and Applied Arts in Kampala, where she trained in clay work, wood carving and stone carving. Following her graduation, Karuga worked for many years as an art teacher in rural Kenya and it was only on her retirement, at nearly 60 years old, that she pursued a professional art practice. Using mostly paper packaging, newspapers and magazines, Karuga developed an approach to collage which was unique at the time in East Africa, creating images which harness both extraordinary detail and charming simplicity. Karuga’s international reputation grew when she exhibited in a group show alongside El Anatsui and Ablade Glover at the Studio Museum in New York in 1990. She was asked to illustrate a book by the Yoruba writer Amos Tutuola and the resulting exhibition took the artist and her collage works to Paris. As well as continuing to feature in international exhibitions, Karuga’s recognition increased at home as one of Gallery Watatu’s most highly esteemed artists, and in 2017 she was named Artist of the Month by the National Museums of Kenya. Karuga passed away last year in Ireland, where she had lived since 2006.

    Art Auction East Africa
  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 – 2021), Untitled (Woman pouring water), circa 1990s
    Nov. 08, 2022

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 – 2021), Untitled (Woman pouring water), circa 1990s

    Est: KSh200,000 - KSh300,000

    Rosemary Karuga’s lifetime of remarkable achievements has placed her as a major figure in Kenya’s modern art history. In 1950 she became the first female student to attend the Margaret Trowell School of Fine and Applied Arts in Kampala, where she trained in clay work, wood carving and stone carving. Following her graduation, Karuga worked for many years as an art teacher in rural Kenya and it was only on her retirement, at nearly 60 years old, that she pursued a professional art practice. Using mostly paper packaging, newspapers and magazines, Karuga developed an approach to collage which was unique at the time in East Africa, creating images which harness both extraordinary detail and charming simplicity. Karuga’s international reputation grew when she exhibited in a group show alongside El Anatsui and Ablade Glover at the Studio Museum in New York in 1990. She was asked to illustrate a book by the Yoruba writer Amos Tutuola and the resulting exhibition took the artist and her collage works to Paris. As well as continuing to feature in international exhibitions, Karuga’s recognition increased at home as one of Gallery Watatu’s most highly esteemed artists, and in 2017 she was named Artist of the Month by the National Museums of Kenya. Karuga passed away last year in Ireland, where she had lived since 2006.

    Art Auction East Africa
  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Untitled (Buffalo and birds), 1997
    Nov. 09, 2021

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Untitled (Buffalo and birds), 1997

    Est: KSh200,000 - KSh300,000

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, 1928 - 2021) Untitled (Buffalo and birds), 1997 Paper collage 41.5 x 29.5 cm Modern African Art

    Art Auction East Africa
  • Pre-corona life captured by Rosemary Karuga
    Jun. 08, 2021

    Pre-corona life captured by Rosemary Karuga

    Est: €1,200 - €1,600

    - KARUGA, Rosemary (Kenian 1928 - 2021). Bus stop. Gouache on cardboard, signed 'Karuga' (lower right); framed. Corners and edges slightly abraded, otherwise in very good condition.

    Adams Amsterdam Auctions
  • Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, born 1928) Untitled I, II, III (Kenyan Birds triptych), 2000
    Oct. 21, 2020

    Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, born 1928) Untitled I, II, III (Kenyan Birds triptych), 2000

    Est: KSh500,000 - KSh680,000

    (This lot consists of three art works sold together as a single lot) Rosemary Karuga (Kenyan, born 1928) Untitled I, II, III (Kenyan Birds triptych), 2000 Signed ’17/7/2000 Rosemary N Karuga’ (upper right) Signed ’8/7/2000 Rosemary N Karuga’ (lower right) Signed ’7/7/2000 Rosemary N Karuga’ (lower right) Paper collage 41.2 x 30 cm (each)

    Art Auction East Africa
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