Gems at AF

Exhibition: The Gems of Contemporary Kenyan Art, Sept. 16 – Oct. 5 2014 @ Alliance Française

Gems at AF
Margaretta wa Gacheru, Arts correspondent for the Nation Media Group, has been writing about visual and performing arts in Kenya for decades.
She curates an exhibition of Kenyan contemporary artists based on her recent publication Creating Contemporary African Art: Art Networks in Urban Kenya: 1960 – 2010.
The publication is a result of her extensive research for her Ph.D in sociology from the Loyola University Chicago.

Opening: September 16, 2014
Venue: Alliance Francaise
Entrance Free

Runs Until: October 5, 2014

About
There is no better person than Margaretta to bear witness to the exponential growth in the credibility and the creativity of Kenyan visual artists, from the first post-independent art gallery (PaayaPaa) to the current networks of high value Kenyan artists.

In this exhibition, Margaretta brings together a selection of artists from different art networks who have contributed to the evolution of Kenyan visual arts and who continue to display the characteristics of Kenyan entrepreneurial spirit: innovative, adaptable, inventive and original, playing their part in the effervescence of the Kenyan visual arts sector.

Artists include: Ancent Soi, Jak Katarikawe, Mary Collis, Kioko Mwitiki, Shine Tani, Patrick Mukabi, Maggie Otieno, Gakunju Kaigwa, Dennis Muragori, Cyrus Nganga, Nani Croze and other.

Celebrating Kenya @50 with Art from Edward Njenga & Leonard Kateete

Celebrating Kenya @ 50 years: Art Exhibition by Edward Njenga & Leonard Kateete, Until Dec. 31 2013 @ National Museum

Celebrating Kenya @50 with Art from Edward Njenga & Leonard Kateete
Celebrating Kenya @50 with Art from Edward Njenga & Leonard Kateete
The Nairobi National Museum is curating two art exhibitions in celebration of Kenya’s 50th Anniversary. The show is part of a series of anniversary events and exhibitions taking place in the National Museums of Kenya throughout the year.

Opening: July 30, 2013
Venue: National Museum
Time: 5 pm
Guest of Honour: Hon. Dr Hassan Wario, Cabinet Secretary, Sports Culture & the Arts

Exhibition Dates: Until December 31, 2013

Showcasing: Edward Njenga A Son’s Dedication (1962 – 2013 ceramics) and Leonard Kateete Humanity through My Eyes portraits of the traditional African Family

Celebrating Kenya @50 with art

‘A son’s Dedication’ by 91 year old Kenyan ceramist Edward Njenga is an outstanding display of miniature human forms depicting events in Kenya’s history from 1962 to current. Njenga’s ceramics are modelled around the themes of history, health, education, family and relationships, religion, recreation, sports, sustenance, communication, technology and everything human.

The focus on Ugandan artist Leonard Kateete is his almost life-size oil paintings of African communities, commissioned and owned by Nation Media Group and loaned to the Nairobi National Museum for exhibition.
Art has no boundaries; Kateete who resides in Nairobi is responsible for several magnificent murals and sculpture installations in Kenya. An original print of Tears of Freedom (1990); an expressive portrait of Nelson Mandela in oils that is a collection on display at the Mandela Museum SA, will also be on show. Humanity through My Eyes is no doubt a magnificent contribution to the preservation and presentation of the physical history of the African people through art.

The two artists will exhibit in the Cultural Dynamism Gallery and the Ecology Gallery respectively for 6 months.
The Nairobi National Museum is home to some of the most celebrated heritage collections of Kenya and the East African region.
These two exhibitions aim to serve as a major attraction and a useful source of information on Kenya’s history, art and culture.

Book Signing at the Junction

Authors Buffet: Multi-author book signing, May 18 2013 @ the Junction

Book Signing at the Junction
Date: May 18, 2013
Venue: Junction Mall
Time: 11 am – 4 pm
Entry: Free

Participating Authors: Binyavanga Wainaina, Muthoni Likimani, John Sibi-Okumu, Joyce Mbaya, Mbugua Mumbi, Dr. Charles Orero, Winnie Thuku-Craig, Antony T. Gitonga, Jenniffer Karina, Stanley Gazemba, Nganga Mbugua, Bonnie Kim, Stephen Kigwa, kinyanjui Kombani and Joseph Ngunjiri

Special appearance by Musyoki Muli, MD Longhorn Publishers