Lemek Sompoika

Lemek Sompoika (b. 1988 in Kajiado, Kenya) is an artist living and working in Nairobi. Working primarily in drawing and painting, he engages with his Maasai heritage and culture while exploring public spaces and the ways in which human behaviour is shaped by collective knowledge, memory and belief.

Sompoika experiments with dye, print and new media on different surfaces to create works that reflect his observations and interactions with society, questioning perceptions of ‘truth’ and identity as dictated by contemporary ideologies. Using imagery of the human figure, as well as commonplaces and ideas of consumerism, he investigates issues of religion and tradition, alongside his experiences of both modern and traditional upbringing. His charcoal, pastel and graphite drawings reflect the influences that have shaped his personal and cultural identity.

Influenced by his Maasai culture, Sompoika considers the relationship between origins, identity and contemporary experience. As he says, ‘you never know where you’re going until you know where you’ve come from.’

Sompoika began his full-time artistic practice in 2013, when he took up a studio at the Kuona Trust Art Centre. He has participated in national and international competitions and conducted workshops in Kenya. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Ostrale Biennale for Contemporary Art in Dresden, Germany, and the Mediations Biennale in Poznań, Poland, both in 2016. His exhibitions also include Young Guns, Circle Art Gallery, Nairobi (2017); Our Kaftan, Kesh Kesh Kesh restaurant, Nairobi (2018); In-between, The Kobo Trust Gallery, Nairobi (2018); and the AKAA Fair in Paris (2019), among others. He held his first solo exhibition in 2018 at the Kuona Trust Art Centre.

Contributors: Fulufhelo Mobadi (A Story of Nothingness) and Bulelwa Kunene (A Gathering)

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