Gallery's taste of cultural evolution

Don Handa at The Nairobi Contemporary Arts Institute (NCAI) 

Recently, The Nairobi Contemporary Arts Institute (NCAI) opened its doors to the public as it celebrates the ‘60 Years’ exhibition.

The exhibition showcases a selection of artworks from its permanent collection. It features selected modern and contemporary works from this collection by artists from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, offering a nuanced exploration of East Africa’s cultural and artistic evolution. 

Featured artists include modern masters such as Afewerk Tekle, Theresa Musoke, Pilkington Ssengendo, and Ancent Soi, alongside contemporary artists like Syowia Kyambi, Richard Kimathi, Peterson Kamwathi, and Chemu Ng’ok.

Manuel Ntoyai talked to Don Handa, the gallery curator about the fete.

What are some of the gallery’s most significant achievements or exhibitions to date?

Since NCAI opened its doors in 2022, we have successfully presented nine exhibitions with various thematic focuses (including solo exhibitions, retrospective exhibitions, and group exhibitions) and produced several publications – two books and three smaller exhibition-focused catalogues. We have also successfully launched an artist mentorship program in collaboration with Untethered Magic, hosted three curators-in-residence, and

How do you see the future of the art community in Nairobi?

The art scene within the city, the country and the region at large has shown tremendous growth in the recent past, thanks to the demystification of the industry to the locals by spaces like NCAI and other contemporary art galleries within. We hope and believe that this is more of a starting point, and with more of the people getting in touch, we hope to expand and enrich the region, majorly from the rich artistic background within, getting more people involved within the art scene, promoting new talents and preserving the works from before, while giving space to showcase the works.

How do you select and curate exhibitions for the gallery? 

Our exhibition program is currently based on research by our curatorial team. We determine our exhibitions based on four broad categories: retrospectives, which trace the journey and evolution of practice of a single artist from East Africa throughout their career; thematic group exhibitions, which feature works by various artists brought together based on a specific idea/thesis, usually having to do with the artists’ subject matter as well as their approaches to making; solo exhibition of new work or a new body of work by an artist based in east Africa; and international exhibitions, which feature artists from outside the region of East Africa. In deciding which artists or groups of artists to exhibit, we also consider what the artists are doing/saying in their work and the potential for it to add to or expand what exists and is known about the contemporary art scene in our context. 

How does the gallery support and promote local artists?

Our exhibition program and the NCAI permanent collection engage with artworks produced by artists working today and artists/artworks of historical significance. With the collection and with exhibitions that have a historical focus – retrospectives and thematic shows that focus on specific artistic movements and periods, we intend to offer the artist and the local audience at large an opportunity to be exposed to and learn about the art history of East Africa. For artists, in particular, we feel it is essential for them to situate themselves and their work in a specific historical/cultural context. We also present exhibitions of artists working today and do a variety of programs that allow artists to interact with the artworks and provide platforms for exchanging knowledge and experiences. We are also building a library focused on contemporary art, which is free and accessible, as a repository of knowledge from which we hope artists can draw and learn.

Does the gallery offer any educational programs or workshops?

We have held a series of public programs seeking to engage a broader community with contemporary art through curatorial walkabouts, artist talks, workshops, and online panel discussions. We also conduct school visits to public and private schools to introduce the pupils to contemporary art. This initiative aims to foster an early appreciation and understanding of art among young audiences. In addition to these various public programs, we have UJUZI, an ongoing artist mentorship program delivered in partnership with Untethered Magic, an artist-run space in Kenya.