Ruth Baumgarte increasingly moved away from the fear-filled world of the Federal Republic of Germany in the 1980s to Africa, her long-held dream destination. Between 1984 and 2004 she explored the African continent on her own almost forty times, often on trips lasting months.

Overwhelmed by the people, the social disruptions of African cultures and the intense color chords that presented themselves to her in the landscapes and social life of the villages and cities, she now decided to use oil paint again. This picture cycle began an exhibition career that made her nationally and internationally known.