Exhibitions +

MASK at the White House

In April 2013, MASK Director Alla Tkachuk, accompanied by the Kenyan Ambassador to the USA, The Hon. Elkanah Odembo, presented MASK's work to Grant Harris, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, at the White House in Washington, DC.

As a gesture of goodwill, MASK gifted President Obama paintings by MASK students Duncan Wangari and Benson Kinyanjui, as well as works by artists Alla Tkachuk and Kivuthi Mbuno.

In return, Michelle and Barack Obama sent a hand-signed thank-you letter, expressing their hope for continued collaboration to benefit people in our interdependent world.

Ambassador Elkanah Odembo and Alla Tkachuk with Obama's portrait, Kenyan Embassy, Washington DC, 2013

An artwork by MASK student Duncan Wangari, 16, from West Laikipia, Kenya, created during a MASK workshop following the 2008 post-election violence

An artwork by MASK student Benson Kinyanjui, 15, from West Laikipia, Kenya, created at the MASK Creativity Club at Lariak School in 2010, depicting a local market

Children of Amboseli by Alla Tkachuk, oil on  card, 2011

Portrait of B Obama by Alla Tkachuk, oil on  card, 2011

Artwork by K Mbuno, pencils and acrylic on card