June Art Update

Transformative Ecosystems in Practice | Kamene Cultural Center X NCAI
| Thursday 5 & Friday 6 June

A two-day gathering on memory, land (dis)possession, and spatial justice, featuring talks, performances, and public discussion.

Hosted by @sustainingtheotherwise in collaboration with Kamene and NCAI, the program brings together artists, designers, and researchers to explore restitution, environmental justice, and the role of land in shaping everyday life.

This gathering is conceived as a research and dialogic space where we will explore memory work in relation to land (dis)possession, spatial justice, and interdisciplinary practices. Highlighting the importance of radical, welcoming and decolonial spaces and practices, the program offers a fertile ground for conversations that bring forward historical, present and speculative strategies to combat environmental injustice and land dispossession towards restitution and reparation.

So, how do spaces bear the colonial wounds? How do communities mourn the practices of land dispossession that shape their everyday lives? Together with contributions by artists, cultural workers, thinkers, curators, designers and architects, we will grapple with these questions.

First Sato: Open Studios | Kuona Collective | Saturday 7 June | 12 – 8pm

NEW EXHIBITIONS

Interdimensional Bodies as Homes | Munyu Space | Opening Thursday 5 June, 6pm | Until 24 June

This exhibition invites you to consider the body not as a site of conquest, but as a home, one layered with memory, resilience, and ancestral knowledge. Bodies as Homes interrogates how colonial systems have inscribed, distorted, and commodified the human form, particularly along gendered lines. In its place, this work imagines a return; a re-rooting into dignity, autonomy, and embodied freedom.

At the heart of the exhibition is the work of @swift9graffiti , Nairobi’s legendary graffiti artist, whose “G Shock” style blends aerosol art with deep cultural commentary. His pieces move beyond walls; they pulse with rebellion and philosophy.

Curated by @art_joymala , this collection centers on liberation through creative rupture. As you move through this space, we invite you to engage not just with the images, but with the questions they pose: Who gets to define the body? What lies beneath imposed identities? And how do we build a home within ourselves, out of what remains and what we choose to remember?

Fabric of Our Being | April Kamunde| The African Arts Trust | Opening Friday 6 June, 6pm | Until 2 August

April Kamunde is a painter born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. After spending 17 years doing portraiture commissions, Kamunde transitioned into full-time practice in late 2020. She works primarily in oils creating paintings that tell intimate and personal stories. Through soft and delicate brush strokes, her subjects, oftentimes placed into a natural, lush environment, radiate a gentle and natural presence. While often working from an autobiographical origin, her work leans into shared experiences, making it relatable across audiences and intending to explore and ignite conversations.

Her recent body of work explores meanings of rest and the pursuit of it, from a personal and feminist angle. The work is driven by personal reflection and response to feelings of weariness triggered by her recent experiences of the pandemic, a rapidly changing world and the endeavor to live a successful and fulfilling life in fast-paced Nairobi, one of Africa’s mega cities.

The dera features prominently in the series. The dress is usually designed to fit loosely, giving ample room for aeration and movement. In Nairobi, it has grown in popularity, especially as loungewear. To Kamunde, the Dera serves as a “Do Not Disturb” sign for the women who wear it, signaling “me-time” and the reclamation of their energy. The natural fauna, her women are placed into, serves as yet another antidote to, as well as withdrawal from their every-day performances of societal and cultural roles and expectations.

Self Talk | Ronnie Ogwang | Banana Hill Art Gallery | Opening Saturday 7 June | Until 31 August

“Self Talk,” a powerful solo exhibition by Ugandan artist Ronnie Ogwang. Rooted in personal reflection and unflinching honesty, this body of work draws viewers into a deeply introspective journey that explores the intersections of identity, loss, truth, and resistance.

Raised in the heart of Kampala, Ogwang’s path as an artist was shaped by the vibrant textures of daily life and the quiet strength of his mother. Her passing marked a turning point in his creative journey, igniting a period of contemplation that would redefine his artistic purpose. A graduate of Makerere University, Ogwang merges painting, photography, and graphic design to form a visual language that is raw, layered, and fearless.

“Self Talk” reflects a dialogue between the personal and the political. In these works, Ogwang leans into his signature “masking” technique—a tactile, textured method using acrylics to conceal and reveal simultaneously. These surfaces speak of contradictions: beauty and pain, chaos and calm, reverence and rebellion. Through this contrast, Ogwang reflects on faith, the fragility of life, and the social constructs that shape our understanding of self.

Brushstrokes of the Soul | Basement Art Collective | Chez Mahmadi | Opening Saturday 7 June 7th

Immerse yourself in a world where dynamics, energy, and raw emotion leap from every canvas. Experience art that truly lives and breathes, all crafted by incredible artists. And the best part? *Entry is absolutely FREE! Join us from 3 PM to 6 PM* _at 3.2B Kitisuru Road/Tate Close. Don’t miss this vibrant celebration of creativity – bring your friends and let’s make it an unforgettable afternoon!

My First Step Towards My Dream Journey | Nairobi National Museum, Temporary Gallery | Opening Saturday 7 June, 11am – 12pm | Exhibiton from 4 – 30 June

The @nairobinationalmuseum proudly hosts a joyful burst of creativity from the young artists of Mirema School! From colourful dreams to creative beginnings, this children’s exhibition is a joyful celebration of vision, curiosity, and the courage to dream big. Come and support Kenya’s future artists as they take their first step on the dream journey.

Debe – A Container for Material Culture | Adam Yawe | Nairobi National Museum, Creativity Gallery | Opening Sunday 8 June | Until 8 July

The container (debe) for the practice of a designer is more often than not that of a profit seeking entity. With the priority of their work being to create desire in the hearts of consumers that would lead them to purchase their creations. What might occur if we changed the container into which we place the designer? In this exhibition, object storyteller Adam Yawe places his work in the container of the museum and meditates on the idea of design objects whose purpose is not to be bought and sold, but to hold memory and trigger conversation.

This work has been supported by a grant from the @princeclausfund

The Past Will Be Like the Future | Jonathan Sölanke Gathaara Fraser | Opening Wednesday 11 June | Until 17 July

Jonathan Sölanke Gathaara Fraser’s practice is an ode to curiosity, to care and to paying close attention to the world around him. For the last 5 years, he has been using drawing, and more recently sound and installation, as a kind of auxiliary sense with which to observe and record his environment. For his second solo at Circle, the artist invites us to share in the experience of paying close and careful attention, stepping into observation through embodiment; a departure from the usual intellectualisation of our experiences of artwork and the world around us.

The Print Press | Group Exhibtiion | Alliance Française | Opening Friday 13 June | Until 29 June

This exhibition celebrates limited-edition prints and printmakers within the Kenyan contemporary art landscape.  Printmaking is often viewed as a secondary medium.  These artists challenge this view by showcasing the unique artistic qualities and possibilities of the medium. The exhibition aims to elevate the art of printmaking that remains under-represented in the mainstream artistic discourse and foster an appreciation for this technique.

Gods in Action | Khalid Shatta | Kamene Art Centre | Opening Saturday 14 June, 3 – 8pm | Until 12 July

Norwegian-Sudanese artist Khalid Shatta’s debut exhibition in Nairobi. A collection of ballpen drawings and acrylic canvases inspired by his collection Gods In Action. The exhibition contains sculptures and installations designed by the artist and coproduced by Sudanese sculptor Heraa Hassan.

“Gods in Action” is a visual journey through how indigenous communities—beginning with the Nuba of Sudan—express the divine through art, ritual, and environment. This series invites viewers to explore spiritual representation across cultures, from the Nile to the Pacific, revealing what distinguishes and connects us. RSVP here. Please ensure you check your email after RSVP’ing for the event details.

Poster design by @theweirdpackage

Ngurinit: A Safari North | Annick Mitchell | One Off Gallery | Until 22 June

Annick Mitchell exhibits a joyful selection of paintings. “I created this series of impressions simply to honour the quiet resilience of pastoralist communities, their livestock and to celebrate the enduring presence of wildlife endemic to Kenya’s great northern frontier”. 

See Also

Things to do in Nairobi this weekend: 15 – 18 May

Rhythms Within | James Mbuthia |One Off Gallery | Until 22 June

James Mbuthia’s uplifting exhibition once again explores rural life through the eyes of one who enjoys Synesthesia.“My paintings are interpretations of those inner poetic rhythms from the soul, brought about by the feelings and visions of that moment. Although Colours have universal meaning, I try to interpret the colours according to the feelings of that moment guided by the spiritual being in me.”

Archives of My Soul | Onesmus Okamar | HoF Gallery | Opening Saturday 28 June, 3 – 7pm | Until 3 August

𝐴𝑠 𝑤𝑒 𝑈𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ, 𝑙𝑒𝑡’𝑠 𝑑𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑤𝑎𝑦. “𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋”, a new solo showcase featuring Onesmus Okamar happening at the 𝐇𝐎𝐅𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐊𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚 will on from the 𝟐𝟖𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞. Save the date and save your time. For more information kindly reach out – 0741443678.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS