EVENTS
ARTIST’S TALK: SHABU MWANGI | Saturday 18 May from 2 – 4pm
Shabu Mwangi will be in conversation about his practice, the current exhibition (Un)Contained Turbulence and his ongoing work with the Wajukuu Artist collective which he co-founded in 2003. No booking needed.
Shabu Mwangi‘s practice focuses on the effects of contemporary and historical violence, and other forms of marginalization on individual and collective psyches. Mwangi’s mixed media compositions are an abstracted emotional reflection of societal and cultural fissures. His current body of work when faced with structural violence that affect the individual, community and society at large.
Exhibition continues until 25 May
Circle Art Gallery, Victoria Square, Riara Road | www.circleartagency.com @circleartagency
SANNAD SHREEF | TEMPORAL ALCHEMY: SATURDAY 18 MAY, 6PM
Image via @kameneresidency
The inaugural solo exhibition by Sannad, a Sudanese artist based in Nairobi titled “Temporal Alchemy”, offers viewers an immersive experience that blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination.
Sannad’s art transcends conventional classifications, seamlessly merging painting, sculpture, and performance into a dynamic fusion. Each artwork serves as a portal into Sannad’s inner world, where memories, emotions, and profound reflections intertwine in a mesmerizing dance of perpetual metamorphosis.
Kamene Art Residency, Santock Estate, Ngong Rd www.kameneartresidency.com
LAST CHANCE TO SEE
LIFESIZE | PART 1: OLGA TAPIOLA
Until we meet again, 2021
Until 18 MAY
Ardhi’s Mentorship program, in collaboration with Peter Elungat, kicks off this life-sized art exhibition. The two-week accelerator program will focus on various cohorts of female emerging artists entering the program and exhibiting monthly solo shows until July 31st.
Parallel Four Hostels Building, Entrance through Adreno’s Bistro, Ole-Sangale Link Rd. www.ardhigallery.com
LOCAL CONVERSATIONS (LUGHA YA MTAANI) | Richard Kimathi
Here it From a Friend – Richard Kimathi
Until 19 May
Based in Nairobi, Kimathi’s work is confident in line, composition and colour; profound in expression; elegant in its simplicity and honesty; and camouflaged in a caricature-like reductionism rendering a deep and movingly empathetic portrayal of the circumstances of the common Kenyan: the suffering, dignified always, heroic even and without self-pity, privately worn and stoically bourne, as if simply the price of life; patient but, in the compassionate brushwork of the artist, transitory and redeemable. This sensitivity permeates the entire body of his work.
One-Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Rosslyn Lone Tree. www.oneoffafrica.com
ROWS AND COLUMNS | Baraka Shamia
by Baraka Shamia
Until 19 May
In this exhibition Shamia depicts figures, which are not clearly human. He states that the Scarecrow is a major guiding visual. He describes the studied experience of a Scarecrow, embodying a dance fueled by winds and rain.He explores the evolution of the significance of this image of man, the aspect of a boundary between man and nature and to whom the power to decide and cross boundaries lies. The works examine the relationship between people and the natural environment and the urge of man to rearrange, domesticate and commercialise nature. The pieces explore the geometry and uniformity that results from man’s encroachment on nature.
One-Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Rosslyn Lone Tree. www.oneoffafrica.com
THE ESSENCE | Anne ‘Ntinyari’ Mwiti
Installation view of The Essence. Photo by author.
Until 30 May
The inspiration of this body of artworks evolves from a three-year research of the artist’s multiple heritage and identity (several generations Ameru, fourth generation Maasai and fourth generation Ethiopian). The name “Ntinyari” means SERENDIPITY and carries the essence of all the bloodlines of her multiple cultural DNAs that have walked the earth from generation to generation, country to country along the Nile River Valley to finally settle on the plains of Kenya and Northern Tanzania.
Alliance Francaise, Utali St. | www.afkenya.org @afkenya
Charity Exhibition for TNR & KSPCA | Various Artists
Image via Spinner’s Web
This exhibition showcases diverse talents and captivating artworks, featuring guests from East Africa and beyond in aid of the TNR and KSPCA
Showing on 19, 21, 22 & 23 May
Spinner’s Web 1.3A Kitisuru Rd www.spinnerswebkenya.com
ANCESTRAL TECHNOLOGIES | GROUP SHOW
Image via Munyu Space
Until 30 May
Ancestral Technologies navigates the liminal space between past, present and future, weaving together threads of ancestral wisdom with contemporary digital tools. This exhibition of fresh, cutting edge multi-media works features artists including Antony Mwangi Kihugu, The Mute Poet, V for 5 and more.
Munyu Space, Basement, The Mall, Westlands
CREATIVE INNOVATION HERITAGE, Exploring the creative mind | Leonard Kateete
Art by Leonard Kateete, courtesy @nationalartgalleryofkenya
Until 31 May
Nairobi National Museum, Creativity Gallery @nationalartgalleryofkenya
Unspoken Hero | Mike Kyalo
Image via Banana Hill Art Gallery
Immerse yourself in a visual narrative that pays homage to the unsung heroes in our midst. “Unspoken Hero” is a poignant exploration of everyday courage and resilience. Through a series of evocative artworks, Mike Kyalo shines a light on the often-overlooked acts of bravery and strength that define the human experience.
Until 31 May
Banana Hill Art Gallery, Banana Hill | www.bananahillgallery.com @bananahillartgallery
HOPEFUL HUES | Adam Masava & Crae
Image via @mukuruartcollective
15 May – 7 June
Vibrant Visions of a diverse Nairobi by Masava and Crae of Mukuru Art Collective.
Village Market Rooftop
ONGOING EXHIBITIONS
OLIDDE MUPIPA | Xenson
Untitled Series – Xenson 2019
Until 13 July
Xenson (Samson Ssenkaaba, b. 1978) is a Kampala-based multimedia artist. ‘Olidde mupipa’ (Luganda) is an idiomatic expression that translates to ‘you have eaten from the barrel (the dustbin)’. The phrase implies that one has arrived too late for something, that they have to make do with leftovers. More specifically, the expression refers to the steel drums, which are often sold and repurposed. In his practice, Xenson has adopted these steel barrels, and their offshoots, as a support for painting and as building blocks for the sculptures and installations that make up this exhibition.
NCAI (Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute), Rosslyn Riviera. www.ncai254.com
MABAKI – Adlan Yousif
Rusty Souls’s Voyage – Adlan Yousif
Until 10 June
Coming from the war zones of Darfur, Yousif was influenced by many scenes of oppression. Like many who grew up in the Darfur region, he saw iron as a material much used for destruction and turned it around to tell stories inspired by war-torn regions and societies. His vision leads to the implementation of sculptural projects, with scrap metal as the basic material allowing the expression of this real tragedy, and the transformation of this hard, rusty and cold material into expressive and poetic poems with a heightened sense of drama.
HOF Gallery in the Kibera Arts District | https://houseoffriendskenya.com/hofgallery
Save The Date
Window Where No Light Goes | Joachim Kwaru
Kulipa Ushuru Ni Kujitegemea I (2024)
Opening 25 May, exhibition runs until July 13th
Curated by Rose Jepkorir, the subjects of Nairobi artist Kwaru’s work revolve around day-to-day life offerings, questioning the value propositions in art practices and how or when meaning is embedded in artwork.
The African Arts Trust, Victoria Square, Riara Road
BEYOND | MUNENE KARIITHI
Opening Saturday 25 May, 2-5pm. On show until 23 June
An exhibition of recent paintings relating to migration and diversity.
One-Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Rosslyn Lone Tree. www.oneoffafrica.com