Meet our Artists.
Our generation of artists spans from the lkimaniki (1948-1961 to Lkisieku (2019- to date) each expressing their ideas on life, love for a good dance and their most treasured commodity; livestock. Our artists delve deep into the intricate dance of life, painting narratives of resilience and unity with each drop of red ochre. Witness the fusion of tradition and modernity woven beautifully on the canvas of our heritage, where stories untold find their voice through the colors of creativity.
The Age Sets.
Samburu society is organized by the age-set principle. Age sets refer to groups of men who have been circumcised during the same interval of roughly 14 years. Circumcision initiates boys into warriorhood, a period during which the initiated warriors are expected to protect the community.
Naming of the ageset is done by the elders at the sacred Nyiro Mountain where the Samburu believe their god is.
What follows is circumcision and a period of moranhood which ends in a lmuget ceremony and the initiation of the next generation. It is at this point that members of an ageset are now allowed to marry and eat at home.
The following is the chronological order of the Samburu age-sets and the times they spent as morans.
Lkishili (1961-76)
The Lkishili were initiated in 1961-1976.
Meiboki Lesas a Samburu elder living in Marti Dorop village on the banks of the mighty Milgis river in Marsabit County made paintings in several caves in Marti Dorop Namely Mpurungus, Naideli and Mpirish.
Just like the previous generation, they had gone to Loikar ( a moran feasting ceremony) in the caes where they slaughtered a bull, ate it and painted on the walls of the cave using red ochre. he says they did this for rememberance. Lesas further say that he was inspired by paintings he had seen on a cave they had visited earlier.
He mainly made paintings of human figures depicting morans, which he confirmed to be his friends.
Pictured (right) Lmeiboki Lesas sits next to the paintings he made in Mpirish cave, Marti Dorop.
Lkimaniki age-set (1948-61)
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