In the early 1960s, enchanted with his earlier visits to Africa, Peter Beard purchased 45 acres of land in Kenya, just outside of Nairobi and adjacent to Karen Blixen’s former plantation. The sprawling property became Hog Ranch, Beard’s personal oasis in his adopted home.

The Hog Ranch Art Department, a changing group of local artists with whom Beard would collaborate on his photographic collages, officially began in 1962 when Beard invited Blixen’s house manager, Kamante Gatura to live with him at the ranch. As we see in the present lot, the combination of Beard’s powerful black and white portraits- which isolate the figures against a barren background- paired with the colorful, fantastical drawings of his Hog Ranch collaborators, result in a visually stunning work that speaks to the rich and vibrant culture that lured Beard to Africa decades ago.