Expert Voices: Hugo Cobb on Michael Armitage's Muliro Gardens (Baboons)

London | 1 March 2023

Born in Nairobi in 1984 and now working between Nairobi and London, Michael Armitage is one of the most important and sought after figurative artists alive. The appearance of his large-scale painting Muliro Gardens (Baboons) is a historic auction event and a top highlight of the upcoming NOW Evening Auction. Based on a 2011 viral tabloid news story about police setting up hidden cameras focused upon a park bench which was infamous for public sex, the work goes beyond the sensational to explore the intersection of societal and sexual behaviors against a backdrop of cultural conservatism.

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