Samburu Rock Art

Making rock art today – encounters with practicing Samburu rock art painters

Thematic Area(s): Social and Cultural Infrastructures | Digital and Knowledge Infrastructures

Client: Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) in Sweden

Partners: Linnæus University, University of Adelaide, Oxford University, UK, National Museum of Kenya (NMK)

Dates + status: 2025 - 2027, Ongoing

Location(s): Samburu, KE

Scope of Work: Ethnographic Research

This documents the perspectives of past and present lmurran warriors, examining the cultural, social, and environmental significance of rock art over the last century. Through oral history, ethnographic research, and cultural interviews, the project engages with 20 rock artists from six generations (1948–2024), uncovering the motivations, meanings, and transformations of their artwork. The findings will contribute to rock art studies, visual anthropology, and narratology, providing new insights into Indigenous artistic expression and heritage preservation.

 

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