Kiprop Langat (b. 1990)
Standing Figure (Ember), 2023
Charred cypress
182 × 34 × 30 cm
Estimate KES 600,000–900,000
Bidding
Not sold
Bidding stopped below the reserve. If you would like to make an offer, our specialists can put it to the seller.
Contact the specialistsBids · 3
- KES 340,000 Paddle 355 In the room 01:16
- KES 320,000 Paddle 462 In the room 01:16
- KES 300,000 Paddle 386 In the room 01:16
About the work
Carved from a single cypress trunk felled near Eldoret, then charred and brushed back by hand until the grain shows silver through the black. At a little over head height, the figure narrows to a face that is little more than a brow, the line of a nose and two cuts for eyes, and it leans very slightly forward.
Condition
Very good. Fine natural checks in the wood, as made. The charred surface is stable and sealed.
Provenance
Acquired from the artist, 2023; private collection, Nairobi.
The artist
Langat carves standing forms from felled cypress, then chars the surface with fire and brushes it back, until the wood is matt black with a faint silver grain. The figures are tall and narrow, never quite human, and are often shown in pairs. He grew up near Eldoret, where his father farmed timber, and he still cuts every log himself.
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