Anthony Okello has been described as “one of the most important artists of his generation.” I would go further and say Okello is one of the most important artists in the region, especially for his epoch series of paintings which examined the mythologies and cultural identities of several Kenyan communities, namely the Luo, Kikuyu, and Taita people.
Taking on the role of cultural chronicler was a challenge Okello has relished, even if he didn’t identify himself as such. His ‘Masquerade Series’ projected an idiom that resonated well with the political and social climate of the times, when duplicity was all-pervasive, and masks were meant to hide the criminality of crooks in high office.
