KENYAN ARTIST SOLOMON WAMISIGO SAYS RENOWNED AMERICAN ARTIST PETER BEARD OWES HIM MILLIONS

By Cheptoek Boyo | May 22, 2020

In an interview with the Cheptoek Boyo, Kenyan artist and muralist Wamisigo claims American artist Beard owes him millions.

World famous photographer Peter Beard put Kenya on the map when he took photos of the campus girl in high cheek bones who later became super model Iman, the widow of rocker David Bowie.

Peter Beard, 82, is dead. His body was found in a densely wooded area near his home in New York more than two weeks after he went missing. Beard lived for long periods in America and Kenya where he followed Iman on the streets of Nairobi in the 1980s. His photos of the Somali girl are what launched her career to international stardom. Iman was the daughter of a diplomat, a student at the University of Nairobi.

While those whose knew the talented photographer are mourning his death, local artist, Solomon Misigo Mugasia, is also claiming Beard owed him millions for work they did together in Karen, Nairobi.

Known in the art circles as Wamisigo, Mugasia came to Nairobi 1999 and met Beard through his aunt who worked as a house help at his Hog Ranch, Karen.

Mugasia was mentored then employed by Beard as an artist earning Sh4, 500 a month and “my main work was to add murals to Peter Beard’s photographs which were sent from his New York studio via DHL to Kenya,” explains Wamisigo whose salary by 2007 had risen to Sh26,000.

In Nairobi, Beard’s studio was being managed by his Afghani wife, Nejma Khanum Beard who after complaints increased his salary to Sh41,000 by 2017

Nejma also asked that Wamisingo send his paintings to New York where he could earn more money. But then Wamisingo got wind that Beard’s photographs with his mural work on them were selling for millions like the Orphaned Cheetah Cubs photo-mural but “when I asked Mrs Beard how much the pieces were being sold, she refused to disclose the amount.”

By 2018, Wamisingo was sacked without notice but recalled to sign his dismissal letter to get his pay that April.

Seven months later in November 2018, Orphaned Cheetah Cubs was auction by New York’s Christies Auction House for $672,000 (Sh67 million). Wamisingo says he contacted Nejma over the Christies auction and payments for over 100 paintings sent to her, but instead of replying blocked him on Whatsapp and email.

Wamisingo demanded payment $20, 000 (Sh2million) via Nejma’s brother, Omar Khanum but only $5000 (Sh500, 000) was deposited in his dollar account in three months. Omar and Nejma have not been picking his calls and he has been blocked from accessing Omar’s office at the Hilton in Nairobi.

Omar Khanum, a lawyer, represents the Beards. When contacted, Khanum explained that  “Nejma Beard did not at any time at all promise to pay Solomon Mugasia 20,000 dollars Solomon Mugasia requested financial support of 20,000 dollars from Peter Beard and was given a gift of 5,000 dollars to help him buy a plot of land and to help him set up together with an earlier loan of Sh50,000.”

In regards to Wamugasia’s 100 paintings to Nejma, Khanum explained that “there is no truth or substance in this allegation at all” and that Wamugasia was paid his gratuity after working as an artist for Peter Beard for 19 years and “he signed a release and discharge to this effect on May 16, 2018 as he did at the end of each one of his contracts.”

As for Beard earning millions which were not disclosed to Wamugasia, the lawyers say that “Solomon’s contract as an artist clearly set out his remuneration for his work. All of which he was paid and received without any issue. His claim is an insincere and dishonest afterthought.

It is the same as for example an artisan claiming more for his services after a building, he worked on was sold and re sold at larger and larger sums. He was paid for his work at the contracted rate.”