A number of exhibitions are opening this weekend, plus others ongoing. Make your weekend and art weekend iN Nairobi.
EVENTS
Printmaking Workshop | GoDown Arts Centre | Sunday 27 April | 1 – 5pm
Last of this month’s series of Print Making 101 with @jamo.mweu
Escapes | Ivan Rabbiosi | Location on RSVP | Sunday 27 April | 1 – 5pm
OPENING THIS WEEK
The Kirk Season, 2025
The Descendants | Elias Mung’ora | One Off Gallery | Opening Saturday 26 April, 2 – 6pm | Until 25 May
‘The Descendants’ is a series of work that continues my exploration of missionary work during the colonial period and the
lasting legacy that continues to date. The work is primarily based on the East Africa Scottish Mission in Tumutumu, from where my family trace their Christian heritage. The missionaries were interested in all areas of daily life, from education and spirituality to local customs, from marriage to circumcision and including the mundane; cooking, personal hygiene and mode of dress.” – Elias Mung’ora – Nairobi – April 2025
Theresa Musoke | The Presence of Living Things (1963 – 2025) | Circle Gallery | Exhibition Until 5 June
Musoke’s hand is skillful and distinctive; rendering her drawings, paintings and prints in an atmospheric blend of sensitive draughtsmanship and painterly experimentation. Colour, value and form come together in intuitive and organic ways; trees and birds merge with the sky, antelope and wildebeest with the ground, birds become clouds. Equally stunning, are her figurative works, primarily self-portraits that offer us a brief and rare glimpse of the artist and her impressions and translations just as she sees herself.
Powerful Kenyan Women | HoF Gallery, Kibera Arts District | Opening Saturday 26 April, 2 – 7pm | Exhibition continues until 15 June
Powerful Kenyan Women brings together works by Kenyan women artists across sculpture, fashion, furniture, murals, and more. The opening event invites the public to engage with powerful stories of success, shaped by collaboration and community.
Shams Rising | Group exhibition | Kifaru Crescent, House No. 114/2 | Sunday 27 April | 12 – 6pm
Sudanese artists Issam A. Hafiez, Misbah Mohamed and Muhjadi Alhadi present their recent works in this one day exhibition.
Notes on Friendship: Breaking Bread | Various artists | NCAI | Opening Tuesday 29 April, 5pm | Until 27 July
The Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI) and The Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) Tamale proudly present Notes on Friendship: Breaking Bread, a collaborative exhibition connecting artist-led institutions from Kenya and Ghana. This cross-continental project emerges from a desire to bridge geographic and generational gaps, fostering the exchange of dreams, ideas, and struggles influenced by the dynamic cultural, social, economic, and political realities of both regions. At its heart, Notes on Friendship: Breaking Bread explores the concept of friendship as a site for dialogue, critique, and creative support. @ncai254
No Borders | Priscilla Baxter | Chez Mahmadi | Opening 30 April, 5 – 8pm
Through her lens, a world unveiled. Journey beyond boundaries with *Prisscila Baxter’s* *”No Borders”* Photo Exhibition showcasing at Chez Mahmadi Gallery on April 30th, 5:00-8:00 PM. Free entry but RSVP +254714082910.
ONGOING EXHIBITIONS
Shades of the Motherland: African Abstractions | Various artists | Until 30 April
Last chance to see this exhibition celebrating the vibrant essence of Africa as this exhibition brings together tradition and modernity, with bold colors, dynamic forms, and powerful abstraction telling untold stories. Showing Almoghera Abdulgabi, Alsadig Mahmoud and Stephen Juma.
Posta (Pervasive whispers) | Anthony Muisyo | Munyu Space | 10 April – 9 May
This exhibition is a walk through the city that encourages us to train our eyes to see what’s often overlooked, yet right in front of us, and to attune our ears to the constant hum of voices that shape our urban landscape. The work invites us to focus on the people—the fundis, designers, waganga, and others—whose contributions are all around us but often fade into the background.
Shades of Hope | Solomon Muchemi | Nairobi National Museum | Creativity Gallery | Opening Tuesday 25 March | Until 30 April
East Chrome | Banana Hill Art Gallery | Until 26 May
Banana Hill Art Gallery is delighted to present “East Chrome”, an evocative exhibition showcasing the works of four exceptional Ethiopian artists—Eyayu Genet, Yonas Degefa, Nega Yilma, and Kibeom Seyoum. This exhibition brings together a dynamic fusion of colour, identity, and cultural expression.
The title “East Chrome” reflects the vibrancy and depth of artistic vision emerging from Ethiopia. Chrome, signifying colour and brilliance, represents the bold, chromatic storytelling that these artists bring to the canvas. Through their unique styles and perspectives, they invite us to experience the rich artistic landscape of East Africa, where tradition and contemporary influences intertwine.
Sina Jina Collection | 2nd Edition | The African Arts Trust | Ongoing
The exhibition’s focus this year is on the 2nd generation of Kenyan artists whose works are in the collection. The Sina Jina collection is a body of work collected by the founder of the African Arts Trust, Robert Devereux over the last 25 years.
Artwork: @aookello Anthony Okello,Herd Full of Dreams, 2020
Fragments of Home | Romeo Niyigena | SenaArt Gallery X Under the Swahili Tree | Until Tuesday 29 April
Niyigena is an emerging artist from Kigali, Rwanda. His works primarily encompass oils & acrylics on canvas through which he exploes the theme of diversity, a profound source of inspiration for him. His work is deeply influenced by cultures he has encoutered across Africa. Each of Niyigena’s creations is imbued with poetic expression, weaving a unique narrative or symbolism, inviting the viewer to dive deeper.
Alibhai Mullah Jevanjee – The Grand Old Man of Kenya | The Nairobi Gallery
Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee was an Indian-born Kenyan merchant, politician and philanthropist. He was amongst the first and most influential Indian settlers in Kenya, amassing significant wealth and becoming a leader of Kenya’s Indian community.