African Portraits

“Maasai Warrior”, Kenya

“Les enfants terrible”, Homage to Klimt”

African Artwork by Margrit

“Les Enfants terribles”

“Homage to Klimt”

11″ x 36″

“Surma Child”, Ethiopia, Omo Valley

African Artwork by Margrit

“Surma Child”, Ethiopia, Omo Valley

When I saw this young child, so proud and serious wearing his body paint and the Head piece, I fell in love with the face Decoration and I needed to paint this child.The Surma paint their face and body every day in a different pattern. Transforming the body with paint is a great source of fun for small Surma children. They take a lot of efforts not to paint the same pattern. I painted it in Acrylic, because I wanted to show the beautiful white decoration on the face in contrast to the darkness of the green-turquoise background.

Acrylic on Canvas 19″ x 22″

Surma girl, Ethiopia

African Artwork by Margrit

“Surma Girl”, Ethiopia

This is my new painting. I loved to paint this young Surma girl, because her mischievous

face expression captured me.

The young girls of the Surma tribe decorate their bodies with a pattern of dots inspired

by the spotted guinea fowl. The paint is a mixture of chalk and water from the riverbank.

Their innovative face and body patterns are designed to attract the opposite sex.

Watercolor, 11″ x 14″

African Artwork by Margrit

“Fulani Girl”, Mali

I painted this girl with Watercolor, because I wanted to show her delicate features. I love the large Amber pieces and the coins decorating her braided hair.

Skullcaps of Amber are worn in the vicinity of Jenne, the twelth – century mosque, by unmarried Fulani Girls. Originally from the Baltic, amber was traded across the Sahara.

Watercolor 9″ x 11″

African Artwork by Margrit

“Estrellita, doesn’t she looks lovely?”

Doesn’t she looks lovely? with all her decorations.

I painted her with acrylic paint, used tiles, fabric, paper, bark to make her glow like a “Estrellita” in the universe.

Mixed Media 12″ x 12″

Going back to our roots

African Artwork by Margrit

“Going back to our roots”

I used Acrylic paint, paper, fabric, tile and palm bark on wood.

7″ x 15″

“Himba Woman with Child”, Namibia

African Artwork by Margrit
“Himba Woman with Child”, Namibia
When I saw this loving intimacy between mother and Child, I had to paint them. I choose to paint with Watercolor to capture the light on their beautiful faces.

“Samburo Man”, Kenya

African Artwork by Margrit
“Samburo Man”, Kenya
When I saw his proud demeanour, I wanted to paint him. Because of his beads , braided hair and light reflections on his skin.

Watercolor
10″ x 14″

“One love”

African Artwork by Margrit

“One Love”

10″ x 10″

“Child from Ghana”

African Artwork by Margrit
“Child from Ghana”

When I painted this small child, I wanted to show the expression on its face, so serious and concentrated watching the grownups dancing.

Watercolor
9″ x 11″

African Artwork by Margrit

“I’ve got you Babe”.

As I was painting I was listening to Lucky Dube ‘ s song: “I’ve got you Babe”.

I love this song.

Mixed Media on Wood 5.5″ x 23.5″

Let’s dance

African Artwork by Margrit

“Let’s dance’

Mixed Media on Wood 22″ x 15″

“Karo Man”, Ethiopoia

African Portraits by Margrit
“Karo Man”, Ethiopia

I love the pattern painted on his body.. It is a unique handprint motif. I love his nearly darkblue skin and the showing venes
on his body. It is absolutely fascinating to me looking
at the painted decorations, a piece of art in itself..

Watercolor
10″ x 14′

“Maasai Warrior”, Kenya

African Artwork by Margrit
“Maasai Warrior”, Kenya
I love his sensitive features,
proud and aristocratic looks.
He is a junior Warrior,
who always has his spear with him.’
His hair is braided in beautiful long plaits.
With Watercolor I could capture his facial expression.
Watercolor
11″ x 14″

“Songhai Woman”, Mali

African Artwork by Margrit
“Songhai Woman”, Mali
The hair is decorated with Silver coins,
Amber and glass beads. All this jewelry must weight heavy on her.
I love her jewelry, special because I love to wear it myself.
Watercolor
9″ x 11″

“Surma Woman”, Ethiopia

African Artwork by Margrit
“Surma Woman”, Ethiopia

When I look at her I have to admire her serene gesture, the decorative paintings on her face and body.

Watercolor
11″ x 14″

“Wodaabe Man”, Niger

African Artwork by Margrit
“Wodaabe Man”, Niger

“Wodaabe” , meaning “people of the taboo” that is, those who adhere to the traditional code of behaviour characterized by modesty, forethought and reserve.
Wodaabe nomads are beautifying themselves
in preparation for an all-male charm dance.
The women are the ones who choose the best
looking men. I love to see these reversed roles between Women and Men.
Acrylic on Canvas
20″ x 24″

“Tuareg”, Niger

African Artwork by Margrit
“Tuareg Girl”, Mali
When I saw her face, I was drawn to her serenity, the expression of not being so sure to be married soon. I like that the Tuareg society
is matriarchal, and the women enjoy a freedom and status unheard of in the Muslim world.

Watercolor
8″ x 10″

“Children from the Ivory Coast”

African Artwork by Margrit
“Children from the Ivory Coast”
These two sisters are adorable. I like how they embrace each other, the older one looking adventures and the younger shy one is holding on to her sister.

Watercolor
9″ x 11″

“Samburo Warrior”, Kenya

African Artwork by Margrit
“Samburo Warrior”, Kenya

I like his distant proud demeanour. He looks so serius. I like his braided hair. The shield is amazingly decorated.

Watercolor
8″ x 15″

“Karo Dancer”, Ethiopia

“Karo Dancer”, Ethiopia
Adorned with traditional body paint

I love the two color dots on his face and body. they make intense efforts to beautify their bodies.

Watercolor
11′ x 13″

“Songhai Bride”, Mali

African Artwork by Margrit
“Songhai Bride”, Mali

I think she looks beautiful in her bridal decoration. Her Hairstyle incorporates silver coins, amber, glass beads and gold filigree ornaments. The remarkable coiffures of the Songhai woman of Timbuktu and Gao in Mali are reminiscent of the sophisticated styles of the Songhai Empire which ended in the sixteenth century. Many Songhai women still possess valuable amber necklaces.

Watercolor
8″ x 11″

“Dogon Girl”, Mali

African Artwork by Margrit
“Dogon Girl”, Mali

I lover the expression on her face, wondering, not believing? And I love, love her large Amber (Copal) beads. Amber necklaces are prized for its colour and magical healing properties.

Watercolor
10″ x 14″

“Somali Woman”, Ethiopia

African Artwork by Margrit

“Somali Woman”, Ethiopia

I love her most beautiful, proud and confident expression.

“Wodaabe Woman”, Niger

African Artwork by Margrit

“Wodaabe Woman”, Niger

I love this woman with her ceremonial veil, tattoos and brightly colored cloth. I painted her in Watercolor, because of the delicate veil and her fascinating Eyes.
Watercolor
11″ x 14″

“Wodaabe Girl”, Niger

African Artwork by Margrit
“Wodaabe Girl”, Niger

When I saw her , I was drawn towards her: like she is waiting silently in anticipation for something to happen…
Folded head cloths are stylishly decorated with brass chains, cowrie shells and beads. Brass earrings are threaded through as much as eleven holes in the rim of the ear.

9″ x 11″

splendour and redemption

African Artwork by Margrit

“Splendour and Redemption”

20″ x 20″

“Wodaabe Man”, Niger

African Artwork by Margrit

“Wodaabe Man”, Niger

I like how he beautified himself, wondering which girl will choose him.

Watercolor
11″ x 14″

“Turkana Girl”, Kenya

African Artwork by Margrit

“Turkana Woman”, Kenya

Turkana are a fierce tribe. I love her strong demeanour and her fashion statement.

20″ x 24″

“Wodaabe Girl”, Niger

African Artwork by Margrit
“Wodaabe Girl”, Niger

I was so fascinated by her expression that I painted her twice. The second time I painted her with Acrylic in a larger format.



Acrylic on Canvas
20″ x 24″

“Maasai Girl”, Kenya

African Artwork by Margrit
“Maasai Girl”, Kenya

I painted her in all her Beauty. Maasai Girls like to wear many strands of beads.The beads are presents from admirers. By the age of 15 or 16 the girls should have enough collected to invite a proposal of marriage.

Watercolor
10″ x 14″

“Samburo Girls”, Kenya

Artwork by Margrit
“Samburo Girls”, Kenya

I was drawn to their seriousness expressed on their faces.

Watercolor
11′ x 14″

“Dinka Girl”, Southern Sudan

African Artwork by Margrit

“Dinka Girl”, Southern Sudan

I was fascinated by her scarification.

Watercolor
9″ x 10″

“Maasai Woman”, Kenya

African Artwork by Margrit
“Maasai Woman”, Kenya

I love her, standing proud and confident, beautiful..

Watercolor
11″ x 14′

“Fulani Girl”, Mali

African Artwork by Margrit

“Fulani Girl”, Mali

When I saw her face, I fell in love with her, so full of life and mischief.

Watercolor

9′ x 13″

African Artwork by Margrit

“Fulani Girl”, Mali

I like her seductive, quite sad eyes peaking out from under layers of cloth.

Watercolor

11″ x 13″

“Fulani Woman”, Mali

African Artwork by Margrit
“Fulani Woman”, Upper Volta

I like her head dress and all of her earrings. Fulani love brightly coloured head scarves, objects of both Glamour and prestige.

Watercolor
10″ x 10″

Maasai Warrior

African Artwork by Margrit

“Maasai Warrior”

I loved to paint this Maasai warrior with his fierce expression. He displays proudly his beaded headdress with ostrich feathers. Young warriors grow their hair long and dress it with ocher. They spend a great deal of time styling their hair. Among the wide variety of beaded decorations worn by warriors-on their heads, around their necks, at their ears, on their arms and legs-is a narrow belt that serves to carry the scabbard of the short sword. The warrior’s other major body decoration is leg painting. Coating his legs with ocher, he creates patterns by drawing his fingertips through the wet color,exposing the dark skin. Maasai warriors are tall, proud, aristocratic in bearing and manner. Named for the language they speak- Maa -, a distinct but unwritten African tongue, they live much as they did thousands of years ago.

I painted this warrior with Watercolor.

11″ x 14′

Magnificent Attire, Trilogy3

African Artwork by Margrit

Magnificent Attire, Trilogy 3

I used fabric, paper, acrylic and palm tree bark.

I had a lot of fun painting it.

21″ x 12″

Magnificent Attire, Trilogy2

African Artwork by Margrit

“Magnificent Attire”, Trilogy 2

I used Acrylic, palm bark, fabric, paper

Acrylic on Canvas 20″ x 12″

Imaginary voyage to Timbuktu

African Artwork by Margrit

Imaginary voyage to Timbuktu

Acrylic, fabric, tile paper, shell ,palm bark

on canvas

Acrylic on Canvas 10″ x 12″

“Karo Man”, Ethiopoia

African Portraits by Margrit
“Karo Man”, Ethiopia

I love the pattern painted on his body,.. It is a unique handprint motif. I love his nearly dark blue skin and the showing venes on his body. It is absolutely fascinating to me looking at the painted decorations, a piece of art in itself..

Watercolor
10″ x 14′

“Surma Woman”, Ethiopia

When I saw her beautiful skin with this blue undertone in it, I had to paint her. Her silent dreamlike Demeanour fascinated me.

Watercolor

9″ x 12″

“Dinka Man”, Southern Sudan

African Artwork by Margrit
“Dinka Man”, Southern Sudan
with scarification.

I love his peaceful thinking position…

This is one of my first Portrait paintings I did and it was very interesting for me how to apply various colors to get his skin coloration.
The Dinka call themselves “Moniyang”, the “men of men”. They cake their bodies in ash what earned them the name “ghostly giants”, some are tall as seven feet.

The old Glass Beads are a sign of wealth.

Watercolor 14″ x 18″