Background
He was born in Makoka Village, T.A. Chigaru, Blantyre District.
He was born in Makoka Village, T.A. Chigaru, Blantyre District.
As an art scholar he worked studied under first generation Malawian wood carvers Akamitondo and Jibu Sani at the KuNgoni Centre of Culture &.
He is considered as one of the most talented and respected artists in Malawi. His medium is oil paintings but also did book illustrations and a video documentary. A mission established by Canadian Claude Boucher Chisale whom also taught art
He received his Masters in Fine s degree from the Pratt Institute, a private art college in New York, in 1986.
He then went on to teach at the University of Malawi. He was a Senior lecturer and head of the fine art section in the Department of Fine and Performing s at Chancellor College.
He has inspired artists around the world including David McCurry who studied under him whilst in Malawi. His oil paintings were sometimes built up with fabric, sand or pebbles to produce a deep relief and three-dimensional effect.
He once noted that, "Africans express (themselves) better in three-dimensional arts
He regularly used different canvas shapes straying away from the rectangular canvas. Notable works Exhibits His paintings became popular internationally in the 1980s. They have been exhibited in galleries and exhibitions in the United States,Zambia, England, Canada, and South Africa.
Kay Chiromo died in 1994 but his artistic legacy can be seen throughout Malawi.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization sponsored book collection of his work was written by him but published after his death. There was also an annual national literary competition, the "Kay Chiromo Literary Competition" that was named in his honor from 1995-1999.