Art Galleries in Kenya

Art Galleries in Kenya : Kenya is widely known for its fantastic art and the artists, there are abundant art galleries in Kenya that deserve your attention and appreciation, for every art lovers or the artists, the art galleries of Kenya have a lot on offers, these are exquisitely prepared by the skilled local artists of Kenya then if you have a safari and  love for the art and enjoy collecting these a token of the love and appreciation for Kenya and the artists of Kenya, then do shop to your heart’s content in these fine galleries  of the country. The art markets can be spotted in the different parts of Kenya.

Kenya’s constantly evolving art scene revolves around a number of the emerging and world-acclaimed artists predominantly from Kenya and the surrounding East African region, with art spaces clustered around Nairobi and Mombasa, despite the high turnover of the art galleries, which remain rather limited given Kenya’s rich and growing scope of the creative art forms, here are some of the best contemporary art galleries in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nanyuki, Banana Hill Art Gallery, The Kuona Trust, One Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Matbronze Wildlife Art Gallery and Foundry, Art Gallery and Diani Beach.

Nairobi Gallery.

In the heart of the buzzy capital, Nairobi Gallery features a contemporary art from Kenya and the wider Africa, its set in a historic building constructed in 1913, where the people once came to register the births, marriages and the deaths, which earned it the nickname Hatches, Matches and the Dispatches, therefore the tourists on a safari in Kenya can go to Nairobi gallery is therefore strongly connected to the city’s history and continues to contribute to its cultural development.

The temporary exhibitions include the Dreaming in Pictures by painter Jak Katarikawe and the Hazina Traditions, Trade and Transitions in Eastern Africa exhibition in the partnership with the British Museum, since 2012, the Nairobi Gallery has become the official home to the Murumbi African Heritage collection the outstanding private collection amassed by the late vice-president, Joseph Murumbi.

Banana Hill Art Gallery.

The leading exhibition space for the contemporary African art in Nairobi, the Banana Hill Art Gallery has exhibited the work of over 70 artists and sculptors, principally from Kenya and East Africa, that was founded by Shine Tani, a talented local artist, together with 12 other artists, the gallery was officially opened in 2006, and it was dedicated to opening up the continent’s incredible art source and promoting the local art appreciation, the gallery holds exhibitions every two weeks, where it showcases a large number of the striking colorful paintings and the remarkable sculptures that reflect a range of the subjects related to the African content and the landscape and situated on the outskirts of Nairobi, the north of the famous village market, the Banana Hill Art Gallery is worth the drive.

The GoDown Arts Centre.

A key art institution nurturing East Africa’s art talent, the GoDown Arts Centre is a multi-disciplinary creative hub for the contemporary art that is housed in the large renovated warehouse with a wall dedicated to evocative graffiti tags, the centre consists of the main performance space, visual art studio, an  art gallery for the major exhibitions, and the discussion rooms. The centre also runs a residency program providing an open studio, and a number of workshops and seminars to assist artistic development, throughout the year, GoDown hosts a variety of the captivating and insightful events such as the Kenya Burning photo series, that displays images of Kenya’s contested election results in 2007 and the resulting civil war in 2008, and the Nairobi Province Visual Arts Exhibition featuring works exploring the theme of the Perceptions of Nairobi Kenya Safaris.

The Kuona Trust.

The Kuona Trust was established in 1995 with the aim of addressing the lack of visibility for the visual art in Kenya and the desperate need for the additional workspaces and the exhibition centres, more than just a gallery, Kuona Trust is dedicated to providing much-needed support and the resources to the visual artists in Kenya, as well as the platform for the safari of the art lovers to enjoy and engage with the unbridled creativity that exists as a result, the art centre is a home to more than 20 resident artists from Africa and beyond and also hosts a series of the exhibitions and events throughout the year, and also the community outreach programs, workshops, mentoring schemes that was formerly attached to the GoDown centre, the trust has been in its new location in the Kilimani area of Nairobi since 2008.

One off Contemporary Art Gallery.

One Off Contemporary Art Gallery is one of the oldest safari and best loved contemporary art galleries in Nairobi, committed to the exhibiting only the very best art from Kenya and the region, one off works with and promotes East Africa’s most established names, the gallery has represented a large number of the local talents like Perterson Kamwathi, Beatrice Wanjiku and Jackson Wanju, apart from its large permanent stock of the paintings and sculptures, every month the gallery showcases a revolving exhibitions featuring the artwork of a renowned artist, the recent safari exhibitions includes the Gorilla’s on my mind painting series by Kenyan artist chelenge Van Rampelbergen, plus alluring exhibitions from Ethiopian artist Zerihun and Sudanese painter Salah Ammar.

Matbronze Wildlife Art Gallery and Foundry.

This was founded by acclaimed sculpture artist Denis Matthew’s in 1987, the Matbronze Wildlife Art Gallery and Foundry was the first bronze foundry in East Africa, the haven for contemporary African sculptures, the gallery exhibits and sells everything from the elephant statuses and lion paw-shaped ashtrays to bronze starfish and coconuts, capturing the diversity of Africa’s rich fauna and flora, the guests on a safari are able to witness the craftsmanship at its best by watching some of these creative processes, like the bronze smelting  and lost wax casting, the gallery also holds photographic art exhibitions and showcases a number of the compelling wildlife and landscape paintings in the various different mediums, after strolling through the gallery, on safari you also visit the coffee shop and relax in the lush gardens to appreciate Kenya wildlife Safaris through another lens.

Diani Beach Art Gallery.

Diani Beach Art Gallery is also the Kenya’s buzzing contemporary art scene and the first of its kind in the coastal region of the country, the gallery is a leading Kenya safari popular attraction, then the exhibiting a wide variety of the fine contemporary African art the gallery also serves as an exciting meeting space for the art enthusiasts alike. It also holds regular events, art classes, and special promotions to awaken the creative sprit within you, from the oil and acrylic paintings to photography and bronze, clay and wooden sculptures the gallery spotlights an exquisite selection of artwork by Kenyan, Uganda and South African artists and many more, also featuring a breezy earth tones exhibition hall, well placed eye-catching art pieces, and friendly ambiance, a safari to the Diani Gallery is a truly a pleasure in Kenya.

Artz Gallery.

The tourists to the  Artz Gallery are immediately engulfed by the busy interior overflowing with the stacks of original African paintings, its located in the Village Market, the gallery showcases an impressive range of art from some of East Africa’s rising and most celebrated artists, the gallery also has a noteworthy online presence and actively shuttles paintings to the USA. Tanzanian Hendrick Lilanga, Kenyan Jane Wanjeri and sought after Kenyan artist Daniel Njoroge, are just a few of the many talents represented by the gallery, a safari to the Artz gallery you will get time to chat with the knowledgeable staff about any of the displayed pieces.