AbiriKenya

It is a revolution that’s received high-praise and interest from the city residents and a range of art dealers. In addition to providing convenience and sometimes alternative touring sites in the cities, art galleries around Kenya are connecting people and occupying an art space that was previously obscure. In Nairobi, the epicenter of the art scene in Kenya, more than a handful of expertly curated art galleries now hold regular symposiums and exhibitions that bring together art collectors and art lovers – and even those with no experience in art – to useful gatherings that are spreading the love of modern-day art.

The forward and outward looking mind in Nairobi – Kenyan, East African neighbour, the wider continental and global visitor – has much to benefit from the universal language of art. It is an energy that transcends borders and backgrounds, offering a shared canvas where diverse stories meet. Art spaces in Nairobi and outwith are the ultimate sanctuaries for this convergence. Vibrant cultural hubs where people do not just view creativity, but actively participate in the global dialogue. To spark their imagination and evoke deep emotions. To disappear for a moment in the joy of visual stories, colours, and textures.

White Elephant Sea Lodge I Beach Front: Private Beach I Casuarina Road, 80200 Malindi II

In London, where world-class art is everywhere you look when it comes to a trip to the capital, seeking out new art could be less of an adventure. London’s fine galleries, and there are many, is an indefectible ambition for an art scene, and it has been over a century in the making. The art scene in Kenya is new, innocent, but altogether determined and unique. The shift is driven by a need to create art stirred by local issues for a local market.

In doing so, art galleries in Kenya have adopted contemporary art perhaps faster than any other country in East Africa. To further elevate its rapidly evolving local art market while preserving its distinct cultural identity, Nairobi fits the bridge to gap grassroot passion and sustainable commercial infrastructure. While London’s Art market relies on centuries of institutional backing and highly formalized corporate structures, Nairobi’s agility allows it to bypass old-guard limitations and build a modern, africanity, decentralized art economy.

African Art can be seen from different perspectives. It can be seen as the traditional art of the African people before the emergence of colonialism in Africa. It can also refer to any art with an African setting produced by an artist with African cultural experience. A neutral perspective to look at African Art is as any art done by an artist, with an African setting, to which experiences originating in Africa is found. This also, rightfully, implies that even a non-African can produce African art, outside of Africa, provided he or she has the right experience. It also brings to the table works of art done by contemporary African artists.

Mahlangu’s pioneering use of the crafts of her Ndebele people of south-eastern Africa has brought her huge success on the world’s art markets, shown and sold from Australia to New York, and she continues to travel and exhibit widely. Her work has been seen by millions of people on British Airways planes, vodka bottles and billboards. – The Guardian

“I am surprised that people are running away from their own culture. Our culture is good. The importance of our culture is to know where they are coming from. The children, the grandchildren must know which roots they are coming from. If the young children don’t learn from the elders, then everything will vanish.” – Esther Mahlangu.

Mid-century icons:

El Anatsui (Ghana), Ablade Glover (Ghana), Ben Enwonwu (Nigeria), and Esther Mahlangu (South Africa) laid the groundwork by pairing academic buff with indigenous symbolism.

El Anatsui

El Anatsui is a Ghanaian‑born contemporary artist whose transformative use of materials such as wood, metal and bottle caps has produced monumental, shimmering installations that explore memory, identity and Africa’s entangled histories with Europe and America. His globally acclaimed practice, marked by major biennials, museum exhibitions and prestigious awards, has established him as one of the most influential sculptors.

Works by El Anatsui I Sotheby’s II

Contemporary Voices:

Wangechi Mutu (Kenya), Zanele Muholi (South Africa), Yinka Shonibare (Britain), and Julie Mehretu (Ethiopia) shape international museum exhibitions and auction milestones.

Wangechi Mutu

Wangechi Mutu, an internationally renowned artist, is well known for her spectacular and provocative collages depicting hybrid female figures in otherworldly landscapes. She uses the feminine form to investigate and critique issues ranging from colonialism to ritual, displacement, perceptions of Africa and the eroticization of the Black female body. Mixing decorative materials and magazine cutouts, she samples liberally from sources as diverse as African traditions, international politics, the fashion industry and science fiction.

In 2013, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University originated the traveling exhibition and W. Mutu’s first major solo museum exhibition, Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey