Born in 1935 in Kenya, Khadambi Asalache studied architecture in Nairobi, and subsequently fine art, coming to London in 1960.
He published both poetry and a novel, 'The Calabash of Life'. According to the Contemporary Africa Database, he has a place among the ‘pioneers of modern Kenyan literature in English’. He also studied the philosophy of mathematics and became a civil servant at the Treasury.
From the mid 1980s onwards Khadambi Asalache embarked on an artistic journey to create a stunning and intricate fretwork decorative scheme which is inspired by African, Islamic and British art and design. The fretwork is also used to display artefacts from around the world which together make a fascinating artistic statement about a multicultural UK.
Khadambi Asalache died in 2006 leaving his South London home to the National Trust. It was immediately apparent that we might have been gifted an extraordinary place with a fascinating story waiting to be told and for the last 18 months we have embarked on a period of consultation to confirm our views.
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Why Khadambi Asalache and why this house?
'In my view, Khadambi’s house is of international significance. It could be described as an embodiment of the social, political and artistic history of the British colonial experience in the 20th century...
'His work encompasses stories of migration and immigration, exile and return, a narrative which is common to the lives millions of people from all continents. The fact that it is hidden in an 'ordinary' English city terrace is all the more intriguing.'
Elsie Owusu, Founder, Society of Black Architects
From the early prehistoric settlers to Roman, Anglo Saxon and later migrations, this country has always seen great flux and we have sites across the UK that are protected because of these important associations with our past.
Mr Asalache is relatively unknown in the UK. However, the themes in his life and the story played out in his poetry, writing and home are common to many of us. He drew on broad cultural, artistic and scientific influences from around the world to create a special place which celebrates diversity and through this we are presented with an important opportunity to develop our understanding of UK culture.
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