Click on any page to see it full size. Scroll down for a complete list of Artists included in this edition as well directories of Galleries/Cultural Centres.
The Second Kenya Arts Diary
When we embarked on producing the first Kenya Arts Diary we knew that a wealth of artistic talent existed in Kenya, much of it unnoticed by the general public. The exhilarating search for the works of arts that were finally selected uncovered many more gifted artists, enough to fill another edition. The 2011 diary was printed twice due to popular demand, confirming we were on the right track to go ahead with the 2012 Kenya Arts Gallery.
We continue with put mission of making Kenyan art accessible. It is gratifying that many buyers of the 2011 edition were people who might never have considered themselves “Art lovers.” This second edition recognizes East Africa’s pioneer artists, not all of whom are still active artistically but whose work has inspired and influenced the current artistic climate. And jewelry has been included, to reveal some of the diversity of Kenyan art.
The Kenyan Art Diary Group hopes the publication and sale of this and future diaries will see us become self- sufficient and able to establish a fund to enable promising young artists to work and broaden their experience with fewer of the constraints of seeking a living. A percentage of profits from the diary will fuel the young Artists Fund.
This year’s art selection team comprised Nani Croze, Judy Ogana, Donna Pido and Margaretta wa Gacheru. Photography, design and production were handled by Sylvia Gichia, Peta Meyer and Kul Bhakoo. The volunteers met regularly, with The GoDown Arts Centre providing logistics support and excellent coffee.
The fruit of our team effort is the second Kenyan Arts Diary, which we are delighted to present to you now. We are already working on the 2013 diary and believe that in the years to come we will continue to surprise and delight you with Kenya’s artistic talent.
Karibu!
The Kenyan Arts Diary Group
#Galleries/CulturalCentres2012
Art Galleries
AfricanColours Shop/ Gallery, Diani Beach Shopping Centre
Banana Hill Art Gallery, Off Limuru Road, Kiambu
Diani Beach Art Gallery, Diani Beach Shopping Centre
Gallery Watatu, Standard St. CBD
GoDown Arts Centre, Dunga Rd, Industrial Area
Kisumu Art House
Kitengela Glass Gallery
Kuona Trust, Likoni Close, Hurlighum
Lily Pond, Nanyuki
Lisa Christofferen’s Home Gallery, Runda
Maasai Mbili Art Centre, Kibera Rd, Kibera
Matbronze Wildlife Art, Langata
Mechthild Gallery at Kitengela Glass Studios
Murumbi Gallery, Kenya National Archives, Moi Ave, CBD
My Eye Gallery/ Ali Lamu, Shela – Lamu
Nairobi Art Centre, Lavington
Nairobi Gallery, Old PC’s Office, Kenyatta Ave, CBD
Nairobi Museum Gallery
Ngecha Artist Association, off Limuru Rd, Ngecha
One off Contemporary Art Gallery, Rosslyn Lone Tree, Gigiri
PaayaPaa Arts Centre, PaaYaPaa Lane, Ridgeways
Pimbi Gallery, Lavingtone
Sane Art Centre, Naivasha
Wildebeest Workshops, Lamu
Zingira Nyanza
Cultural Centres
African Heritage House, Mombasa Rd
Alliance Francaise, Loita St, CBD
British Council, Upper Hill
GoDown Arts Centre, Dunga Rd, Industrial Area
Goethe-isnstitute, Monrovia St, CBD
Italian nstitute, Woodvale Grove, Westlands
Karen Bixen Museum, Karen
Nairobi National Museum, Museum Hill
Sarakasi Trust, Ngara Rd, Ngara
Restaurant Gallaries
Le Rustique Restaurant, General Mathenge Dr,Westands
Talisman Restaurant, Ngong Rd, Karen
#Artist2012
Index of Featured Artists
Artists are listed by the first day of the week on which they appear, eg. Brush, Wanyu January 2. Artists featured between calendar months are listed on either side of their page, eg July/ August. Artists appearing outside of the calendar section are listed as either before or after calendar.
Abakar, Hassan Fadul Dec 26 (2011)
Abuga, Fred January 16
Ammar, Salah May 28
Anderson, Robin December 24
Bonnell, Mandy April 30
Brush, Wanyu January 2
Cartoon, Joseph January 23
Chege, Waithira June 25
Etale, Sukuro before Calender
Ezigbo, Jacob Wachira April/ May
Gado (Godfrey Mwampembwa) June 18
Giko (Hosea Muchungu) before calendar
Gichuka, Allan November 12
Hassan, Rakeeb Jun/ July
Iberl, Marie-Rose Mar/ April
Kalcktein, Astrid von April 9
Kaloki, Dickson June 11
Kamiti, Andrew September 3
Kamondia, Andrew February 20
Kamuyu, Martin December 3
Kariuku, Kaafiri July/ Aug
Kassam, Zihan July/ Aug
Kiarie, Sebastian September 17
Kibunja, Peter before calendar
Kimani, Jimnah August 20
Kimemia, Julius after calendar
Kinuthia, Parick May 7
Kisseleva, Nadia Jan/ Feb
Maddo(Paul Kelemba) March 5
Maina, Mbuthia Aug/ September
Mann, Rhodia February 13
Martin, Sibylla August 13
Mathews, Denis October 1
Mbela, Patricia Sept/ Oct
Mbevo, Alex April 2
Mbirua, Caroline October 15
Mboya, Tom March 19
Mburu, Harrison October 22
Mbutha, Zachariah July 2
Mosoti, Kepha February 27
Muhandi, Chain October 29
Muraguri, Dennis July 9
Musyoki, Douglas July 30
Mutebi, Lucki After calendar
Mwebe, Expedito January 9
Ndungu, John April 16
Njau, Elimo February 6
Njeri, Patricia January 30
Njoroge, Robert Nov/ Dec
Njuguna, Lionel December 17
Nnaggend, Francis June 4
Odoch’ameny, John April 23
Odongo, Emily After calendar
Ogembo, Mary July 16
Oiro, Meshack Feb, March
Ong’esa, Elkana March 26
Onyango, Richard November 19
Ooko, Elijah August 6
Opondo, Wycliffe May/ Jun
Osman, Ftima March 12
Otieno, Dickens May 14
Otieno, Martin Nov/ Dec
Pido, Donna November 26
Robarts, Geraldine November 5
Seifert, Christine Oct/ Nov
Shah, Prina Mar/ April
Shine, Rahab September 24
Shine, Tani October 8
Soi, Ancent July 23
Wadu, Eunice December 31
Wafula Edwin April/ May
Waite, Yony September 10
Wambugu, Jeff After calendar
Wanjau, Anthony August 27
Wanjau, Samwel Before calendar
Wanjiku, Annabelle May 21
Yeshim, Tums December 10
Behind the Kenya Art Diary 2012
All artwork images featured in this publication are either original photographs taken for the exclusive use of the Kenya Arts Diary 2012, or Digital images supplied by the artists or artists’ representatives, and used here with the permission of the artist. We thank all the artists for the use of their images and permission for reproduction. Contact details given for artists have been supplied by the artist or their representative. Artist information is based on that supplied by the artist or their representative, with additional information sourced from the internet or by personal contact.
Artists featured in cover images-
Front cover, clockwise starting from top left, Kepha Mosoti, Dickens Otieno, Dennis Muraguri, Harrison Mburu
Back Cover, anticlockwise starting form right: Andrew Kamiti, Mary Ogembo, MARTIN Kamuyu, Nadia Kisseleva, Alex Mbevo, Richard Onyango
Published and printed by Kul Grpahics Limited on behalf of the Kenyan Arts Diary Group
The Kenya Arts Diary Group is a volunteer group of artists and arts lovers who first got together in 2010 to collate and publish this diary in order to promote Kenyan Artists and their arts. It is a not-for-profit group and proceeds from sales and advertising will be used to fund next year’s edition, and to start a Young Artists Fund to support up-and-coming artists
The 2012 Kenya Arts Diary Group comprised-
Kul Bhakoo, Nani Croze, Margaretta waGacheru, Sylvia Gichia, Peta Meyer, Susan Mitruk, Judy Ogana, Donna Pido.
Design by Peta Meyer of Tara Consultants
Photograpphs by Sylvia Gichia, Margaretta waGacheru and others. Logistics support and excellent coffee supplied by GoDown Arts Centre
With thanks to Helen van Hauten and Wendy Karmali for additional editing and proofreading; nevertheless any errors remaining are responsibility of the Kenya Arts Diary Group.
©Kenya Arts Diary Group –All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any for or by any means, electronic or mechanical or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner
To learn more about new and upcoming books about East Africa’s Art Community Click Here. If you are an artist of the East African Art Community and interested in Artists Call For Entries Click Here.