Contemporary African Art Catalogue

Edition 10, July 2015

Diani Beach Shopping Centre • Diani Beach • Kenya
[email protected] • www.dianiart.com
www.facebook/diani.art.gallery
+254(0)706 629 655
Painting ‘Gasabo Sunday Best’ by Ben Playle
Page 21
The Diani Beach Art Gallery – a place for art lovers and artists alike!
Bringing together artists from all over Africa, the gallery offers a great variety of contemporary African Art
consisting of oils, acrylics, mixed media, photography and sculptures from metal, stone and clay.
The versatile selection of pieces offers the art aficionado a wide choice and ensures there are artworks to be
found for every taste and preference.
a
Take a minute to indulge your arty side by browsing the striking selection presented to you in our latest
catalogue edition and have a look at our Facebook page (facebook.com/diani.art.gallery) for recently acquired
pieces, artist profiles and news of the African art world.

All artworks shown in this catalogue are originals unless otherwise stated. Prices are exclusive of shipping. Shipping can be arranged
worldwide
Featured artists
Click on the artists name to go straight to their page. To return to this artist index, click the gallery
logo at the bottom of each page. Interested in commissioning your own piece of art? Click here for
more information.
NEW ARTWORK David Maiden (Kenya/UK) Thom Ogonga (Kenya)
Adonias Ocom (Uganda) Dennis Muraguri (Kenya) Yassir Ali (Sudan)
Adrian Nduma (Kenya) Ephrem Solomon (Ethiopia) Zerihun Seyoum (Ethiopia)
Ben Playle (Rwanda/UK) Evarist Chikawe (Tanzania)
Boniface Maina (Kenya) Fred Abuga (Kenya) SCULPTURE
Dennis Muraguri (Kenya)
Collin Sekajugo (Uganda) George Killeen (Kenya/UK)
Eveline Hasselman (Kenya/NL) Jjuuko Hoods (Uganda) Emmanuel Lwanga (Uganda)
Gakunju Kaigwa (Kenya)
Joseph Cartoon (Kenya) John Kamicha (Kenya)
Kepha Mosoti (Kenya)
Longinos Nagila (Kenya) Kizito M Kasule (Uganda)
Patrick Mulondo (Uganda)
Martin Onyis (Kenya) Mark Kassi (Uganda)
Pim Nicolai (Kenya/NL)
Ssali Yusuf (Uganda) Michael Soi (Kenya)
Yonas Melesa (Ethiopia) Mohamad Sebandeke (Uganda) Tom Oneya (Kenya)
Nadia Kisseleva (Kenya/Russia) PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTEMPORARY ART Paul Kasambeko (Uganda)
Alexandra Spyratos (Kenya) Christoph Brandl Kenya/Germany)
Ronald Kerango (Uganda) Shiv Kapila (Kenya)
Anne Mwiti (Kenya) Sanaa Gateja (Uganda)
Arnold Birungi (Uganda)
Sele Amour (Zanzibar)
Bezalel Ngabo (Burundi) Simon Muriithi (Kenya)
Churchill Ongere (Kenya)
Sue Maas (Zimbabwe)
Damba I Musoke (Uganda)
NEW ARTWORK
ADONIAS OCOM
The figurative artist and photographer Ocom Adonias says his father and elder brother introduced him into the world of arts and
greatly inspired him. Over time, the education at school greatly influenced him as he learnt about the art and language movement
of great artists such as George Kyeyune and Taga Nuwagaba.

Currently painting from Karewu Art Studio, Adonias is working in oils, watercolour and some other medium such as acrylics. His
work engages in the realistic presentation of the lives of the common man and his heritage.

The underlying intention is to tell stories about his experiences and the lives of people that he has met. Adonias’ interest in the
common man has led to current artistic research about his heritage and to the creation of his latest painting series “Save
Karamoja,” a project which is aiming to create a positive image of Karamoja and conserving the heritage.

Ocom has worked as a photographer, too, before he decided to focus on his painting career. He has participated in various
exhibitions, mainly in Uganda and in Kenya. His work has also graced the cover of Uganda’s Arts Diary 2015.

Adonias was born in Kireka in 1989 and in 2013 he graduated from Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts at Maker ere
University.

When asked about his artistic base, Ocom says, “My work is a journey of exploration in which other travelers are essential. It’s an
art of healing.”
Adonias Ocom
Atemel
Oil on canvas
90cm x 100cm
Adonias Ocom
Lokeris
Oil on canvas
50cm x 60cm
Adonias Ocom
Shepherd Boy
Oil on canvas
55cm x 70cm
Adonias Ocom
A day’s smile
Oil on canvas
90cm x 100cm
ADRIAN NDUMA
Adrian Nduma has earned his place as one of the promising collectable artists in Kenya as work by the artist sold at a private sale in
2012 for Sh2.2 million.

Nduma attributes his technique to influences from his former career. “Having been in advertising, form is of the essence,” he explains.
He has worked with many companies in Kenya developing graphics for their advertising campaigns.

With that background in advertising and graphics Nduma’s composition, form and colour are rather unique.

Colour, beauty and abstraction are Adrian Nduma’s pillars - art for the sake of art. If you’re familiar with Adrian’s work then you know
just how playfully he steers his palette.

His trance-inducing style is largely surrealistic and abstract. He also likes to experiment with various media and styles in his paintings.

The former banker holds a degree in fine art from Kenyatta University.
Having focused on full-time painting ten years ago, Nduma’s style is consistently evolving.
Adrian Nduma
Whispering Palms 4
Mixed media on canvas
83cm x 107cm
Adrian Nduma
Whispering Palms 10
Mixed media on canvas
83cm x 107cm
Adrian Nduma Adrian Nduma
Whispering Palms II Whispering Palms I
Mixed media on canvas Mixed media on canvas
54cm x 64cm 54cm x 64cm
Adrian Nduma
Whispering Palms 9
Mixed media on canvas
106cm x 143cm
Adrian Nduma
Whispering Palms 8
Mixed media on canvas
99cm x 139cm
BEN PLAYLE
The artist and furniture designer Ben Playle draws his influence from the traditional African designs of the communities in w hich he
lives. For the past two years he has developed his own style of stenciling, observing urban and rural life on the move in Kigali, Rwanda.

Ben graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1997 with a degree in 3D design, specializing in furniture. He then joined a
community art group working with local councils and schools in Brighton, England. The workshop was established shortly after,
designing one-off pieces and furniture on commission.

He has since taken his workshop to Swaziland, Ethiopia and Rwanda, countries in which he has lived and worked since 2001.

Always keen to pass on skills to others, Ben led the ‘Good Wood’ movement in Addis Ababa, training up furniture cooperatives to
produce high quality designs for local sale.

Ben has had three solo art exhibitions in Rwanda, using the graffiti artist medium of spray cans and stencils. The Cans to Canvas series
captures life in the densely populated hills of Rwanda, where the bicycle taxi is the main source of transportation.

His work is a familiar sight in galleries in Kigali, with profiles in local media including the East African and Rwandan New Times. The
fourth and final Cans to Canvas exhibition will be held in Kigali mid-year.

Ben will soon move to New York, where he will continue to use the medium of spray can art to capture observations of city life.
Ben Playle
Black Mamba ‘Need A Ride?’
Spray paints on khanga
40cm x 40cm
Ben Playle
Black Mamba Bicycle Series
Spray paints on canvas
51cm x 51cm
Ben Playle
Bombogo Cool 1-4
Spray paints on canvas
50cm x 69cm
Ben Playle
Gasabo Sunday Best 1-3
Spray paints on canvas
38cm x 64cm
Ben Playle
Black Mamba Napier Grass
Spray paints on khanga
60cm x 45cm
Ben Playle
Zebras
Spray paints on khanga
40cm x 40cm
Ben Playle
Zebras
Spray paints on khanga
40cm x 40cm
BONIFACE MAINA
For the past four years, Boniface has worked as a self-representative artist. His inspiration is drawn from social events in relation to
how we react toward them.

He uses acrylics as his preferred medium because he feels it lets him put together all the elements and effects he needs in a painting as
fast and as fresh as possible.

A look at his works and you will see that Boniface likes to incorporate a dream-like feature in his work to try and bring out what is on
his mind both on a conscious and subconscious level.

Boniface was born in Nanyuki, Kenya, in the year 1987. Art is not only a talent he has had since I was little but also a passion. In 2006-
2008, he attended the Y.M.C.A National Training Institute in Nairobi where I attained a Diploma in Art and Design.
Boniface Maina
Nude Series 1 & 2
Acrylics on canvas
40cm x 50cm
Boniface Maina
Nude Series 3 & 4
Acrylics on canvas
40cm x 50cm
Boniface Maina
Sensuality
Acrylics on canvas
76cm x 102cm
COLLIN SEKAJUGO
We tend to become constrained in our heritage and cultural backgrounds, but Collin believes that when culture dictates a lot in our daily
livelihoods, we eventually lose our moral values as subjected to the world we live in today.

The artist has learned that various traditions have over time been ignored, dismantling societies and building up new cultures. Many
have lost their cultural heritage and assimilated new cultures and others are born in a mixture of cultures hence losing cultural identity.

Collin relays that even though he is born of men and women whose blood is rooted in the reaches of the upper Nile, his work has less to
do with his ancestry or cultural heritage. It’s about his surroundings, experiences and emotions. He has focused on change in society
because it is rapid and solid. His art is about social conscience and healing.

Raising awareness for issues concerning our breaking societies: from discrimination to segregation, from environmental change to
isolation and from disintegration to integration. Through his work, he is developing concepts on the elements that build or destroy our
societies.

This message is portrayed in his artwork- bold strokes in mild hues that are a demonstration of the current social transformation. In
Collin’s work, he is stitching together different identities that create a bond for our common values as a people.
Collin Sekajugo
Wheelers
Mixed media on canvas
200cm x 100cm
Collin Sekajugo
Rush Hour 2
Mixed media on canvas
200cm x 67cm

Collin Sekajugo
Adams
Mixed media on canvas
200cm x 67cm
Collin Sekajugo
Boys to men
Mixed media on canvas
200cm x 100cm
Collin Sekajugo
Daybreakers
Mixed media on canvas
200cm x 67cm
EVELINE HASSELMAN
Eveline was born in the Netherlands and has lived and worked in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Slovenia,
Macedonia, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Kenya. After having travelled the world for many years, she decided to live on Diani Beach
and spend most of her time at her easel, sketching and painting.

Twenty years ago, she met Poen de Wijs and Marion van Nieuwpoort, both famous artists in the Netherlands. After having met Eveline,
they fell in love with Kenya and became her teachers, holding art classes both in The Hague and Diani.
After Marion's death in 2008, Eveline has been privileged to participate for a few months each year in Poen's international master
classes, thus keeping abreast of any innovative techniques in the world of art. After all the art sessions in Poen's studio in the Hague,
Eveline returns to Diani bursting with ideas for new drawings and paintings, eager to put her visions on canvas.
Eveline is endlessly fascinated and inspired by Kenya's grand nature, its splendid colours and beautiful light. She loves cap turing its
faces, flowers and wildlife on paper and canvas. She mostly uses soft pastel crayons for her portraits and acrylics for her paintings.
Her works of art emanate an atmosphere which hovers in between realism and abstract explosions of colour and movement.
She has exhibited her works of art successfully all over Europe and Africa, most recently in 2013 at the United Nations in Nairobi.
Eveline Hasselman
Furaha
Acrylics
60cm x 80cm
Eveline Hasselman
Lupita
Soft pastel on paper
50cm x 70cm
JOSEPH CARTOON
Since selling his first piece in 1994 to Gallery Watatu, one of the earliest & most prestigious galleries of the time, Kenyan artist Joseph Cartoon (Joseph
Njuguna) has participated in numerous group exhibitions and solo shows in East Africa, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Japan, and Korea among
other countries.

Some of his achievements include appearing on the cover of Contemporary African Art, a prestigious annual catalogue on Contemporary Art in Africa (1999)
and winning the Royal Oversees League Award (2001, as well as being the only nominee from Africa). The latter award earned him a 2 year residency in the
UK after which he continued to participate in local and world art projects that have seen him become one of the most collected artists in Kenya.

The powerful interplay of symbolism and colour is outstanding in Cartoon’s art that mainly features the traditional African woman, folk tales and daily aspects
of the African family. Other outstanding features are mushrooms indicating the rich highlands where he was born and a chameleon acknowledging ever
changing times. Fish stand for the importance of good food and of trade.

Historian Sidney Kasfir (in ‘Contemporary African Art’, 1999) describes him as an artist whose work “possesses an exuberance which is extremely difficult for
formally trained artists to achieve.”

Joseph started drawing when he was in primary school. After completing his secondary education, where the subject of art was not taught, he met artist
Shine Tani on his way to his uncle’s house. It is through him that Cartoon’s engagement in art was revived again. Shine introduced Cartoon to Gallery Watatu
in 1994 where the late Ruth Scheffner purchased three of his paintings.

The drive behind the passion in Cartoon’s heart is to see Kenyan and African art exhibited worldwide and artists free to express themselves globally.

Joseph was born in the village of Ngecha in 1976. Now in his mid-thirties, Cartoon is at his career's peak and continues a very active professional life. Early in
2009, his works were on the Scandinavian Tour Exhibition "Africa/ Now"(Denmark, Norway and Finland), while he had an exhibition at RaMoMa Museum in
Nairobi, Kenya and at Mawazo Gallery, in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
Cartoon Joseph
African Family
Oil on canvas
96cm x 159cm
Cartoon Joseph
Welcoming Twins To The Village
Oil on canvas
96cm x 159cm
Cartoon Joseph Cartoon Joseph
Family Faces Of Our Tribesmen
Oil on canvas Oil on canvas
40cm x 50cm 50cm x 50cm
Cartoon Joseph
Burden Of An African Woman
Oil on canvas
83cm x 138cm
Cartoon Joseph
Sailing Back Home
Oil on canvas
83cm x 138cm
LONGINOS NAGILA

Longinos Nagila was born in Busia, Kenya, in 1986. His family moved to Kenya’s capital Nairobi shortly after he was born and it was
here that he first worked with other children to make toys of clay soil during the rainy seasons.
Nagila is a visual artist whose work embodies his interest in socio-economic situations in life, while at the same time trying to provoke
thoughts that are driven towards the judgment of these situations.

Considering his paintings as a platform for conversation from within an individual or between two or more people, his main subject is
the human form.

Sometimes he chooses to add protective objects like gas masks or even blocks out the eyes of the depicted person, depending on their
status - current or former- in the society. This is mostly achieved by using mixed media.

His sources of inspiration are endless; however, he is deeply interested in children and women as he sees them as sources vessels and
of life.
Longinos held his first solo exhibition in Lecce Italy in 2009-2010, since then he has continued to exhibit in Italy. In 2012-2013 he was
one of the artists who exhibited at the Museo Africano in Verona, Italy, together with Kikoko from Togo.
In 2014 he held a first solo exhibition at Shift Eye Gallery in Nairobi, Kenya.
Longinos Nagila
Imprisoned Soul
Mixed Media
100cm x 90cm
Longinos Nagila
Two Travelers
Mixed Media
100cm x 90cm
MARTIN ONYIS

Onyis Martin is an up and coming but very talented artist who has taken an interest in waste materials. He sees the essence in them
and uses them creatively in his art.

Onyis uses mixed media in his pieces like khanga paper, polythene bags and recycled tubes. This medium also expresses the daily living
experiences of his surroundings.

Onyis’ paintings are flavoured with love; its opposites and its parallels. In them, he breaks down life into love and hate. For him, love
and hate live together and one is not just the opposite of the other. He feels that everything that happens in this world is based on
these two emotions!

He paints based on his life experiences, trusting his own inner eye, dipping the brush into his soul, the place where both love and hate
reside, to bring out the absolute reality of his own world and anyone who connects with it.

Onyis also makes beads using recycled materials and he commits his time to teach children and youth in the community as a way of
making sure that the next generation gains general life skills as artists.

Onyis Martin lives and works in Nairobi.

Martin Onyis
Urban Shadows 1
Mixed media on canvas
150cm x 100cm
Martin Onyis
Lamu series 3 & 4
Mixed media on canvas
50cm x 60cm
Martin Onyis
Beach life 1
Mixed media on canvas
70cm x 60cm
Martin Onyis
Beach life 2
Mixed media on canvas
60cm x 70cm
Martin Onyis
Escape
Mixed media on canvas
60cm x 80cm
SSALI YUSUF

Ssali Yusuf is a Ugandan artist born in 1983 at Kireka, Wakiso district. He studied Industrial & Fine Arts graduating with a BA Degree
from Makerere University in Uganda.

Ssali started painting full time in 2003, after he had practiced his skills with different artists in Uganda. His inspiration comes from day
to day activities done mainly by African women and cultural goings-on in African societies.

Yusuf uses oil and acrylic on canvas, but once in a while he likes to use bark cloth, a popular medium in his homeland. His paintings are
rich in dark hues of royal purple and navy blue, with generous additions of warm shades to create a buffet of colour that is
unmistakably the artist’s signature.

He has exhibited his works at numerous galleries including the Makerere University art gallery, Tulifanya Art Gallery, Afriart Gallery, Aid
child, Gallery Watatu Nairobi, RAMOMA Museum of art Nairobi, Evere commune Brussels Belgium, Rue-Dela Madeleine 17, Brussels,
NATTA Art in East Europe, Holland Boxmeer, and others.

As a professional artist, Ssali prays that he leaves the earth with a legacy of works and to be known as a world-famous painter.
Ssali Yusuf
African Life
Acrylics on canvas
150cm x 120cm
Ssali Yusuf
Starting Point
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 75cm
Ssali Yusuf
Starting Point
Acrylics on canvas
75cm x 100cm
Ssali Yusuf
Dance To The Ceiling
Acrylics on canvas
150cm x 120cm
Ssali Yusuf
The Last Event
Acrylics on canvas
200cm x 150cm
Ssali Yusuf
Blue and Red
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 65cm
Ssali Yusuf
Story Telling
Acrylics on canvas
80cm x 60cm
Ssali Yusuf
Different But One
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 80cm
Ssali Yusuf
Mother’s Gift
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 80cm
YONAS MELESA
Born in Ethiopia, Yonas started his artistic journey at a young age and says that science aims to know, while art endeavors to express, a
school of thought that he feels is open to all.

As an artist whose style is that of minimalism, where less is more, he says he draws a lot of inspiration from both natural and artificial
forms, mostly geometrical in nature.

Yonas uses art as a channel of expression to deal with his inner conflicts, fears and tensions as well as show his audience what he
aspires to, hopes for while also highlighting his personal ideals.

As a full time studio artist who uses a range of media, he hopes that his work may reflect his convictions and enforce positive social
change.

Yonas was born in 1982 and holds a Graphics Diploma from The Entoto College of Fine Art and Design in Ethiopia.
Yonas Melesa
Teamwork
Woodcut- framed
60cm x 45cm
Yonas Melesa
Get In Line
Woodcut- framed
60cm x 45cm
Yonas Melesa Yonas Melesa
Winner Media
Woodcut- mounted and framed Woodcut- mounted and framed
41cm x 59cm 58cm x 70cm
Yonas Melesa
Sister Sister
Woodcut- framed
87cm x 69cm
 ART
GREETING CARDS

8 carefully chosen artworks by African artists have been selected to produce this gift
set of folding greeting cards. They come packed in cellophane bags, are wrapped with
water lily string and have an blank gallery tag so you can write a message if you’re
planning to give the card set as a gift.
For all designs and more information please see our Facebook page
on.fb.me/18bSVy2 or order your set of cards by emailing us on [email protected]
CONTEMPORARY ART
ALEXANDRA SPYRATOS
Alexandra resides between her home town Malindi, Kenya, and Byron Bay on Australia’s east coast. With studios in both these exotic corners of the world,
Alexandra paints for exhibitions internationally.

With 23 solo exhibitions, Alexandra has shown her work in New York, Miami, Milan, Nairobi, Malindi, Melbourne, Sydney and Hong Kong.

Inspired by her colourful African background, Alexandra mainly depicts the African wildlife and is known especially for her flamboyant oil paintings of zebras.
Over the years she has developed an unusual contemporary decorative style, bold, textured and uniquely her own.

Her medium, though predominantly oil on canvas, now sees an inspired reach into mixed media, working with gold and silver leaf and fluorescent acrylic,
creating a 3d effect under black light. This technique adds an excitingly new and energetic dimension to her art.

In addition to oil paintings Alexandra also extends her decorative style to produce large and beautiful murals, inspired by her passion for colour and her fun-
loving nature. Her brush stroke has been left on many a wall in Africa, Europe and the USA.
Public mural art:
 Darling Harbour, Sydney
 Bondi Public School, Sydney
 Sydney Fishmarkets
 Kings Cross, Sydney
 Ndebele design, Milan
 Manta mural, Fingerpoint wharf, Sydney.
 Mural of the Manta Ray in Manta Restaurant, Fingerpoint Wharf, Woolamalloo (Sydney, Australia).

In May 2010 Alexandra exhibited at the Nexus Modern Art gallery in Melbourne, where she painted live at the opening.
Alexandra Spyratos
The Most Important Thing
Mixed media
168cm x 114cm
Alexandra Spyratos
For Always
Mixed media
100cm x 100cm
Alexandra Spyratos
Ngalawa 1 & 2
Mixed media
45cm x 45cm
Alexandra Spyratos
Cheeky Wildlife 1-3
Mixed media
18cm x 12cm
ANNE MWITI
In the little village of Meru on the slopes of Mount Kenya, a five year old Anne Mwiti made an abstract drawing of a girl. Her father
inspected it and modified it. That was her first art lesson and from then on, she has never looked back.
She has slowly but steadily created a name for herself as an abstract artist whose pieces dwell on African thoughts and exper iences,
brought to life on the canvas by generous amounts of oils.
Anne draws inspiration from numerous sources. This can be seen in her body of works. ‘Looking For The Other Half’ documents the
artists’ belief whereby all beings have a relationship with others and are searching for their other half, making them whole.
The artist is also inspired by nature; this can be seen in her work titled ‘The Blue Valley’ which seeks to show the natural beauty of the
Aberdare Mountains in Rift Valley, with waterfalls and mixed vegetation bringing both man and nature together in celebration.
When at the National Museums of Kenya, Anne created ‘The Meditating Boy’, a painting she attributes to the oldest bones in human
history. Anne is currently a lecturer in the Department of Art and Design at Kenyatta University in Nairobi where she is working on her
PhD. She has won several commissions; her art has been in exhibitions numerous times and has also been sold to private collec tors
overseas.
Anne Mwiti
The Archer
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 100cm
Anne Mwiti
Hypnotic Silence
Acrylics on canvas
92cm x 122cm
Anne Mwiti
Solace
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 100cm
Anne Mwiti
See, Hear & Speak No Evil
Acrylics on canvas
40cm x 40cm
Anne Mwiti
Blue Nude
Oils on canvas
60cm x 40cm
Anne Mwiti Anne Mwiti
The Flute Player The Seated Nude
Oils on canvas Oils on canvas
60cm x 80cm 40cm x 60cm
ARNOLD BIRUNGI
Arnold Birungi is a Ugandan born in south western Uganda, Rukungiri district. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Fine Arts
from Makerere University. Arnold is a realist oil and water colour painter and paints mainly people and wild life.

He has practiced art since he left school and has a painting studio located in Bukoto town.

Arnold is a professional visual artist, specializing in painting and drawing illustrations and has an amazing eye for detail. He has been
drawing communication materials for several NGOs, businesses and the public sector for the past 10 years.

Birungi started as a water and oil painter and has participated in a number of successful art exhibitions. His watercolor illustrations
have been used in several behavior change communication materials, children’s books, newspapers and magazines.

Recently he specialized in digitally enhancing images into appealing photo-like illustrations. He has put up a number of successful art
exhibitions and holds private classes for people interested in drawing.
Arnold Birungi
Antelope lost
Acrylics on canvas
60cm x 89cm
Arnold Birungi
Giraffe elegance
Acrylics on canvas
61cm x 81cm
Arnold Birungi
Water buck vantage point
Acrylics on canvas
81cm x 61cm
Arnold Birungi
Leopard curiosity
Acrylics on canvas
89cm x 60cm
BEZALEL NGABO

Ngabo was born in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa. He realized he had artistic abilities while still very young
and when he finally became of age he studied at Academy des Beaux Arts to build his skill.

Painting is Ngabo’s way of appreciating the beautiful world that we live in. The artist aims to educate viewers of the basic virtues of life
that help contribute in making our world even more beautiful.

Ngabo draws a lot of inspiration from the Holy Bible, which he believes is a mirror to the human spirit and from day to day happenings
in our society.

EXHIBITIONS
October 2012 to date - Cultural Heritage Gallery, Arusha
August 2012 - Sophia, at the Village market Nairobi
June 2012 - The Hidden Man, at Osteria Art Gallery
January 2012 - Souvenir d’Afrique 2, at Banana Hill art gallery
January 2012 - Osteria Art Gallery Inauguration Exhibition
August 2011- Souvenir d’Afrique 1, at the Talisman Restaurant, Karen
Bezalel Ngabo
Narrow Arrow
Mixed media on canvas
75cm x 100cm
Bezalel Ngabo
African Proverbs
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 100cm
CHURCHILL ONGERE
So far not very involved in showing his work, Churchill has made a lauded entry onto the art scene by displaying at a Nairobi Art Gallery and being
identified by an art scout from Saatchi Gallery for his unique collage art works.

Born in 1991 in Kisumu, Ongere was brought up by an artist father and attributes this as one of the reasons why he decided to pursue art
seriously, as watching his father work inspired him to follow the same path.

Pursuing a Degree in Political Science at Maseno University, Churchill engages other students in art activities as the team leader of an arts group
that was formed in campus to champion the interests of students who create art.

He also runs an art blog and says his works are a collection of ideas, values and personalities he cherishes- as can be seen by the pieces on display
here.

Using the collage technique, Churchill’s works are often visual representations of subjects such as politics, liberty, freedom and beauty.

On whether he intends to keep painting now that he has been producing only collage pieces for the past one year, he says that his art career is
still at its infant stages and intends to use all medium possible, although he finds collage more fulfilling now.

Exhibitions

September 2013, Kisumu: Visions of Grandeur Art (Group) Exhibition

July 2014, Kisumu: Mwanzo Art (Group) Exhibition, Salzar Hotel
August 2014, Nairobi: Reflections on Paper, Shifteye Gallery
Churchill Ongere
Everyone Is Full Of It!
Paper collage
70cm x 88cm
Churchill Ongere
Break A Leg
Paper collage
57cm x 70cm
Churchill Ongere
Cut From The Same Cloth
Paper collage
70cm x 88cm
Churchill Ongere
Busy Multitasking
Paper collage
84cm x 110cm
Churchill Ongere
Ready to Multitask
Paper collage
84cm x 110cm
DAMBA ISMAIL MUSOKE
Damba Ismail Musoke was born in 1982 in Rubaga, Kampala, Uganda. He joined Makerere University’s Margaret Towell’s school of
Industrial and Fine Art in 2002 and graduated in 2005 with a BIFA hons. majoring in Illustrations and Drawing.

At the Ngoma International Artists workshops, an organization that promotes young and established Ugandan artists, Damba
participated in exhibitions exposing him to the world of art beyond boarders.

Ismail has been exhibiting since 2002, and participated in the East Africa Art Biennale in 2005 and 2007. In 2007 he was also featured in
an exhibition of Ugandan artists in Denmark and has won several prizes and awards for painting and print making.

” Everything I do in my art is about belief, the ability to accept what I feel inside as well as what I see all around me, to have faith in it,
and to document what I see and feel through the medium of my art.

My images – especially of birds – are metaphors for this. My themes are the challenges of the society and of the environment I live in:
Culture, politics and economies, the effects of globalization; people, their activities and opinions, their perceived social status, and the
political hopelessness I too often sense here; the fate of our wildlife and the state of the natural world.

Line and colour are the common constituents of all art but the real essence for me is the relevance of the statement contained within.
“
Damba Ismael Musoke Damba Ismael Musoke
Morning glory By her side
Woodcut print Woodcut print
30cm x 21cm 30cm x 21cm
Damba Ismael Musoke Damba Ismael Musoke
Aquatic morning 1 Aquatic morning 2
Woodcut print Woodcut print
30cm x 30cm 30cm x 30cm
Damba Ismael Musoke Damba Ismael Musoke
Couple Me
Woodcut print Woodcut print
15cm x 30cm 15cm x 30cm
Damba Ismael Musoke Damba Ismael Musoke
She tells beautiful tales But I miss him
Woodcut print Woodcut print
25cm x38 cm 30cm x 39cm
DAVID MAIDEN
David Maiden is a young British artist who was brought up in the beautiful scenery of the Lake District National Park in the north of
England.
After University, he spent four years in London exhibiting his work in a number of galleries. Two years ago David and his wife Joanna
decided to pack up their lives in London and move here to the Kenyan coast in search of inspiration for his new work.
Before moving to Kenya, David used to paint almost exclusively in black and white. This quickly changed once he arrived in Africa.
David fell in love with the vibrancy of the bright coastal colours, with the regions rich hues, the variety of landscapes and the versatility
of cultures reflected in the human form. All this has now become characteristic for his art.
David initially trained as a photographer before turning his attention to painting almost 10 years ago. Photography has a big influence
on his work which is often very photographic in detail.
But unlike in photographs, an untamed edge to David’s work makes it all the more fascinating, where his finishing is mostly sketchy and
dreamy.
David paints a wide subject matter but specializes in portraits and scenery with some of his portraits having been commissio ned by
clients around the world.
David Maiden David Maiden
Achieng’ Acrobat III
Oil on linen Oil on linen
25cm x 30cm 25cm x 30cm
David Maiden
Maasai Girl
Oil on linen
31cm x 46cm
DENNIS MURAGURI
Dennis Muraguri is a Kenyan artist who was born in 1980 in Naivasha. He attended the Buru Buru Institute of Fine Arts in Nairobi
between 2000-2003, where he graduated top of his class and attained a Diploma in Painting and History of Art.
Muraguri says he finds the overall inspiration for both his paintings and sculptures in globalization.

The message in Muraguri’s work is positive and reflective, it tells the story that Africa is no longer the ‘Dark Continent’ but it is
becoming more and more modernized and affected by technology.

Please go to page 169 to view Muraguri’s sculptures. His works are a representations of the industrialization in Kenya and most of
them are inspired by music, as can be seen his use of parts of instruments or metal shaped as such.
All sculptures are mixed media where wood and metal are combined. The metal used represents the people who manufacture all kinds
of things. The wood, on the other hand, symbolizes the natural side of life.
Dennis Muraguri
Old East
Acrylics on canvas
188cm x 122cm
Dennis Muraguri
Most Wanted
Acrylics on canvas
188cm x 122cm
Dennis Muraguri
Girl with Card
Acrylic on canvas
66.5cm x 92cm
EPHREM SOLOMON
Ephrem Solomon Tegegn is an Ethiopian artist born in Addis Ababa in 1985. After he finished high school he went on to art school to
realize his childhood dream of becoming an artist and graduated with a Diploma in Graphics from Entoto Art School 2009.
Ephrem is inspired by socio-political feelings concerning human and natural life. Sometimes he paints on themes that reflect his
personal experiences; things that happened to him in his past and his vision for the future.
Generally, he believes life is composed of two colors: black, and white. What is real and what is not.
Ephrem expresses that he sometimes feels a strong need to create paintings that are unapologetically descriptive of the things that
happen in his immediate surroundings: A view of the city, people he knows, familiar hallways and spaces, or elements of nature that
appeal to him.
At times his work depicts a different kind of ‘reality’, one that is highly fictitious and free of the limitations of truthfully recording his
experiences. Chairs in his work express the past, present and future.
Ephrem Solomon Ephrem Solomon
Makeda Meets Solomon Makeda with Father and Mother
Ink drawing- framed Ink drawing- framed
31cm x 31cm 31cm x 31cm
EVARIST CHIKAWE

Evarist Chikawe’s paintings are based on Tanzania’s rich culture and traditions, trying to preserve these age-old cultural roots. The artist
is inspired by strong colours that are normally seen from the dressing of Tanzanians, especially women. He mostly engages in figurative
drawings of the human form because he believes that his life revolves around that of other people.

Evarist says that the human figures in his paintings give people an opportunity to easily understand the subjects he wants to portray, as
they are easy to relate to from the beholders eye. And although Chikawe’s style keeps on evolving, he keeps true to his chosen subject
of figurative drawing.

Insisting that he engages in art for his own gratification, as his paintings bring him a sense of joy as he completes them, Chikawe also
states that he sells his work because he believes art is there to be shared.

Evarist was born in Dodoma, Tanzania in 1974. After having spent time painting in his youth, Evarist started exhibiting his works at the
age of 23. Asked about his life as an artist he says: “Art is good and I am happy being an artist.”
Evarist Chikawe
Musician
Pastel on canvas
60cm x 80cm
Evarist Chikawe
Red Wine
Pastel on canvas
60cm x 80cm
FRED ABUGA

Fred Abuga’s creations are influenced by colour, nature and women's activities. Made with his typical broad strokes of single hues the
paintings are a rainstorm of colour that melts into unity when viewed from a distance.

Fred is a creative Kenyan artist who showed exceptional talent at an early age. He was constantly referred to as ''chief artist'' because
of his contribution to the drama and journalism clubs painting backdrops and cartoons.

Fred holds a diploma in Fine Art from the Buruburu Institute of Fine Arts (BIFA) and has participated in numerous exhibitions both
locally and abroad: in Nairobi at the National Museum of Kenya, Karen Blixen, La Rustique, Goethe Institute, Alliance Françoise and
other National Arts Exhibition, ISK shows, and in Cortina, Italy.

In 2006 he was the most promising male artist in the ''Contemporary Art in Kenya'' juried exhibition held at the French Cultural centre
and at the German Institute, Nairobi.
Fred Abuga
Ggaba Uganda 1
Oil on canvas
140cm x 140cm
Fred Abuga
Man on Path & Napier Grass
Oil on canvas
70cm x 140cm
Fred Abuga
Early Birds
Oil on canvas
160cm x 120cm
Fred Abuga
A Busy Street
Oil on canvas
97cm x 200cm
Fred Abuga
Cow’s day II
Oil on canvas
163cm x 100cm
Fred Abuga
Cow’s day I
Oil on canvas
163cm x 100cm
GEORGE KILLEEN & THE MASQUERADE SERIES
In many cultures, masks have played a crucial historical role in the development of understanding of what it means to be human.
Essentially masks can permit the imaginative experience of the wearer to be transformed; be it sacred, practical or playful.

When I started this series of paintings, I initially thought masks were designed to ‘cover up’. However, maybe the mask is mo re than
just a means of disguise. It can also be an intercessor, a medium of transformation and an object of reflection.

I begin to ask myself; ‘have I allowed living in Kenya to transform me? Am I putting outward that which usually lives inward? Will these
paintings connect with others in a shared understanding of the human condition; that we are all capable of creating and transforming
ourselves in an effort to finally remove the many masks wear to be our true selves?’

George Killeen
Mombasa
George Killeen
Masquerade II
Mixed media
70cm x 70cm
George Killeen
Masquerade III
Mixed media
60cm x 88cm
George Killeen
Masquerade IV
Mixed media
88cm x 60cm
JJUUKO HOODS
Born in 1980, Jjuuko Hoods is one of the few Ugandan artists who have represented his country internationally.

He’s a graduate with a first class degree from Kampala University and the Director and founder of GECKO Art Gallery Uganda.

Since 2000 Jjuuko has been very famous for his unique technique of bark cloth painting. He has managed to expand his scope of
experiment by also venturing into media like recycled polythene bags, wood & metal fabrication and copper wire used on canvas.

Jjuuko succeeded in transforming contemporary African art out of the craft and artifact classification by integrating both modernity
and traditional concept. He is an icon of the contemporary artist generation with a highly motivated goal of changing the landscape of
Ugandan art in particular and African art in general.
Jjuuko Hoods
Peeping I
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 82cm
Jjuuko Hoods
Good luck
Acrylics on canvas & bark
82cm x 100cm
Jjuuko Hoods
Peeping II
Acrylics on canvas & bark
82cm x 100cm
JOHN KAMICHA
The son of well-known artist Zachariah Mbuthia, John has been raised in an atmosphere of art. He is a highly creative and sensitive
young man, also known for his whacky sense of humour, which obviously manifests itself in his pieces.
Kamicha has done a series of works using Khangas (women’s traditional wraps) as canvas. He paints and draws around the traditional
motifs on the material making the background become part of the finished piece.
Through this technique he brings the act of painting closer to his own culture and experience.
Those familiar with his work can see a crystallization of his talents over the last year and his recent work is very exciting and holds
promise of a lot more to come.

Exhibitions Commissions

‘Best of East African art’ - group show British council

‘Habitat’ - group show at UNEP Nairobi National Museum
‘Biodiversity’ - group show at UNEP Kabete Children’s Home
Group exhibition at the Goethe Institute
RaMoMA (Museum of Modern Art)
Group exhibition at the German Residence
John Kamicha
Red Hyena
Acrylics on khanga
100cm x 100cm
John Kamicha John Kamicha
Yellow Hyena Green Hyena
Acrylics on khanga Acrylics on khanga
56cm x 53cm 50cm x 65cm
KIZITO MARIA KASULE
From extremely humble beginnings as a street child to earning a PhD and teaching at the Makerere University, Kizito Maria Kasule of
Uganda has made a name for himself as one of Africa’s Premiere artists. He is a graduate of the same University, and has been
professionally involved in Art since obtaining his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in 1993. In 2003 he obtained a PhD in Fine Arts.

Kizito has been described as the “Picasso of Africa” and his oil paintings are in the homes of many distinguished diplomats, hotel and
bank lobbies in Germany, Kenya, Canada, Kampala, South Africa, Entebbe, Denmark and recently Namibia, in the Terra Africa House.

His dedication to the development of the Arts has been manifested in the foundation and establishment of Uganda’s first Academy of
Art and Design in 2008, the ‘Nagenda International Academy of Art Design’ (NIAAD).

NIADD not only includes art history, oil painting, sculpting and textile design in its curriculum but also builds new connections and
networks with Universities around sub-Saharan Africa and internationally. These networks help to facilitate international student and
teaching exchange programs. It is an institution that could become the model art academy in Africa, under the visionary stewardship of
Mr. Kasule.
Kizito Maria Kasule
Untitled 4
Oil on canvas
146cm x 145cm
Kizito Maria Kasule
Untitled 3
Oil on canvas
146cm x 145cm
MARK KASSI

Born in Byamugisha, Uganda, in 1978, Mark Kassi is a graduate of Kyambogo University where he did a Diploma in Textiles and Fabric
Decoration.

However his earlier passion for painting coerced him to pursue a self taught career in the arts.

Kassi experimented with various art forms and media settling for oil and acrylic painting. He also uses ink and graphite for drawing
media.

Mark draws his motivation from social issues. His works are a reflection of the people he meets, their lifestyles, and cultural values;
something he seeks to express in his works both in realism and abstract form.

His latest works are largely inspired by wildlife and nature.

Mark Kassi
Treasure Hunters
Acrylics on canvas
90cm x 60cm
Mark Kassi
Angel Heights
Acrylics on canvas
130cm x 90cm
Mark Kassi
His Fears
Acrylics on canvas
90cm x 60cm
MICHAEL SOI
Born in 1972, Michael graduated from art school in 1996 and now works as a full time artist in Nairobi, Kenya.

Michael worked with Kuona Trust from 1996 to 2009. He was the coordinator in charge of International Exchange of the Wasanii
International Artists’ Workshop and The International Artist Residency in Kenya.

He says his work is as simple as can be. ‘I try to create an attitude of what you see might be what you get from it. I am involved in work
that deletes, distorts and changes various images into what I want them to be, and am excited by the subtle play that erasure seems to
create when executed in certain ways.’

‘My work mostly touches on issues related to the youth like fashion trends, music and life in general. It is not about the sup pression of
images or the negation of what the image represents, but is about obscuring the images in order to create a different relationship
between the final piece and the viewer.’
Michael Soi
The Governor’s Mistress
Acrylics on canvas
160cm x 100cm
Michael Soi
Happy Parents
Acrylics on canvas
160cm x 60cm
Michael Soi
Matatu
Acrylics on canvas
140cm x 97cm
Michael Soi
Hague express 6
Acrylics on canvas
122cm x 92cm
MOHAMAD SEBANDEKE

Sebandeke is a creative Ugandan artist who showed exceptional talent at an early age. He comes from a family with artistic pedigree
and he frequently watched his mum produce various designs and motifs on textile.

His defining moment came at the age of 16 when he decided to be a full-fledged artist after witnessing the success of his two older
brothers in the art industry; and since then he has come to grow in leaps and bounds.

Sebandeke’s subjects revolve around life and the activities that take place in his immediate environment and places he has visited. He
brings together his subjects in a beautiful fusion of mellow colours and mostly weaves his magic using acrylic paints that show his
background in making motifs.

The artist was born in 1991 and has had several exhibitions both in Uganda and internationally. These include; Morocco, The U.A.E.,
Zambia, Zagreb, Japan, Kenya, Zanzibar, Japan, Turkey, Germany, Tanzania, Rwanda, USA among others.

Sebandeke’s works can also be seen in the MTN Headquarters in Rooderpoort, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mohammad Sebandeke
Time Keepers & Fish For Breakfast
Acrylics on canvas
38cm x 50cm
Mohammad Sebandeke
Indoors
Acrylics on canvas
75cm x 126cm
NADIA KISSELEVA
In 1980, Nadia left her homeland of Russia for Africa. Her experience in Africa has been a major influence on Nadia's work. It provided
for the development of the vivid and intense colour palette and the strong dramatic contrasts in her paintings. It also introduced a
number of new themes and concepts to her artistic range.
Hers is a spontaneous style of painting which is easily recognizable. It also strongly reflects her daring and expressive personality. She
tries to challenge the norms of art and question the boundaries of her own artistic routine.
Nadia has over time flourished as an artist and in 2003 she was awarded the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Prize for the most
innovative painting. In the year 2006 Nadia successfully graduated from Wimbledon School of Art (University of Arts London) with BA
in painting and a year later completed her studies at the Camberwell College of Art (University of Arts London)

She has taken part in numerous group exhibitions (over two hundred) and has had over a dozen of successful solo shows in Kenya and
the UK. In 2002 she was elected as a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of artists (RBSA)
Kisseleva is also an active member of the Birmingham Society of Artists. Her work can be found in private collections in the United
States, the United Kingdom, Kenya, Denmark, Austria and other countries. In 2009 she was named by Gallery 94, London, as one of
three most promising woman painters in London art scene in the exhibition ‘Three Women Artists’. Her work is on permanent display
at the State House, Nairobi.
Nadia received her formal training at Ryazan College of Art in Russia and now lives and works in Diani Beach, on the South Co ast of
Kenya.
Nadia Kisseleva
The Meeting I (Maasai women)
Mixed Media
150cm x 100cm
Nadia Kisseleva
The Meeting II (Turkana women)
Mixed Media
150cm x 100cm
Nadia Kisseleva
Dry Season
Mixed Media
74cm x 54cm
Nadia Kisseleva
Xhosa woman
Mixed Media
78cm x 62cm
Nadia Kisseleva Nadia Kisseleva
Nude in blue Tension
Mixed Media-framed Mixed Media-framed
57cm x 79cm 42cm x 42cm
PAUL KASAMBEKO
Kasambeko Paul is a Ugandan artist born in 1980 in Jinja District. He attended Makerere University, Uganda, from where he rec eived a
Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Fine Arts in 2004.

He began to paint professionally in 2003 and has since been involved in numerous art exhibitions in Uganda, East Africa and e ven
Holland.

‘Kaspa,’ as he is better known, says that being involved in art has been a long time dream of his. His art is an inner reflection of himself,
intended to create an outstanding impact on the public especially in their day to day life.

His subjects are drawn from his life experiences, day-to-day activities, landscapes and seascapes, people, their cultures and norms.
Kaspa uses oils and acrylics, water colors, the collage technique, sisal and bark cloth, and other found objects.

His works are abstract and semi- abstract, impressionistic and figurative in nature.
Paul Kasambeko
Dream Island
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 120cm
Paul Kasambeko
Boats on the shore
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 75cm
Paul Kasambeko
Dhow Series III
Acrylics on canvas
67cm x 83cm
Paul Kasambeko
Dhow Series II
Acrylics on canvas
100cm x 75cm
RONALD KERANGO

Ronald Kerango has always had a strong desire to express himself. He has also tried to create artwork from materials found within his
immediate environment as he felt he related to them and they were part of his life.

As time has gone by, Kerango’s art has often sought to investigate the way in which different materials ‘behave’ in the process of self
expression. He has also deduced that different materials could be used in setting the tone of the expression to be conveyed even
before the artist puts paint to canvas.

This is evident in his work now, as different colour palettes of traditional pieces of materials are used as the background of his work.
This creates a much textured finish and an exciting composition.

Kerango also seeks to tackle sensitive social issues such as gender. In his most recent pieces, he highlights the need for ge nder equality
in Uganda by using the female form as an inspiration to his pieces.

“Ro” as he is famously known among his peers was born in 1984 in Kampala and attended the prestigious Margaret Trowel School of
Industrial and Fine Arts at Makerere University and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree.

In 2014, “Ro” was featured among the top 10 contemporary artists in Uganda by the Culture Trip
Ronald Kerango
Thigh Power 1
Mixed media on canvas
60cm x 80cm
Ronald Kerango
Thigh Power 2
Mixed media on canvas
60cm x 80cm
Ronald Kerango
Walking Tall
Mixed media on canvas
60cm x 80cm
SANAA GATEJA

Sanaa Gateja is an exceptional artist and jeweller and has been nicknamed ‘The Bead King’ in his native Uganda. He derives this name from being the inventor
of beads made from recycled paper which he uses to create pieces of various designs and composition.

As an artist his work ethic and preference for recycled materials suite the global consciousness of present times which highly regard the environment and its
preservation. Quite ironical given he started out as an artist in the 60s!

Sanaa’s artwork could be described as mixed-media experimental abstract art. His pieces emphasize use of beads, bark cloth and sometimes raffia to depict
different scenes that he has encountered.

He says, "Life is a journey with a purpose. The message I bring is visually African. The themes I paint are universally human. Dealing with the materials that
guide me, I talk with you, the observer. We share the energy within us provoked by Art".

Gateja is indeed one of Uganda’s most universally acclaimed artists. Sanaa holds a wealth of experience and has several influences to his work having studied
both in the UK (London college of Art and Design) and in Europe’s culture capital: Florence, at the Universita Internazonale dell Arte.

Currently the only Ugandan exhibiting at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York, Sanaa is very active and has exhibited extensively since 1980 in
Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, UK, USA and Germany among other countries.
Sanaa Gateja
Art Wear
Recycled paper beads and raffia
80cm x 58cm
Sanaa Gateja
Memory 2
Recycled paper beads and raffia
30cm x 140cm
SELE AMOUR

Sele’s art beautifully captures the atmosphere of Stone Town in Zanzibar, his birthplace, where shadows play in the narrow streets and
alleyways. These shadows and his keen eye for detail make for a great application of his colours of choice –black and white, and the
transient use of grayscales.

As a self-taught artist, whose only education in the arts was a five week long introductory course in visual arts, his use of perspective
and the fine depiction of the people within give his work a feeling of life, as if one could just step into the painting and would find
oneself in the middle of the maze of lanes which form Stone Town.

Sele was born in 1981; he finished his secondary education in 1999. As a professional artist Sele participated in a group exhibition at
the Aga Khan Cultural Centre in Zanzibar in 2003
Sele Amour
Hurumzi Street
Acrylics on canvas
65cm x 93cm
Sele Amour
Soko Muhogo Street
Acrylics on canvas
63cm x 85cm
Sele Amour
Vuga Street
Acrylics on canvas
87cm x 121cm
SIMON MURIITHI
Born in a small village on the slopes of the Aberdare Mountains in 1973, Simon Muriithi is a self-taught Kenyan artist of great repute.

As far as he can remember, Simon has thought of art as a great pastime owing greatly to the inspiration he got from his mother, whom
he describes as an avid art lover, and also from teachers when he finally got to school.

When Simon was in class one, he won an art award, his first, which further encouraged the prodigy to take this profession very
seriously. Little did he know that it would be the first of many, including being voted as one of the twelve most outstanding artists in
the Housing Finance visual art exhibition and second prize in a competition organized by the Hotel Intercontinental.

Simon says he did not get any formal art training other than the introductory studies every student goes through, though his interest
was nurtured at home where he got art materials from his encouraging mother.

He has gone on to be a professional artist, exhibiting both locally and abroad. His style is abstract and bold, with intricate designs
flowing through his acrylics.

Simon is a modest artist, saying of his fortunes: “I am happy that God has given me the talent of art.”
Simon Muriithi
Where is mum
Acrylics on canvas
71cm x 117cm
SUE MAAS
The second of eight children, Sue was born to parents that were both creative, especially her mother, who was an accomplished
portrait painter and sculptor. Her dad introduced them to the great outdoors and this is where her love of wildlife and nature was
born.

Sue draws her inspiration from all creation. The diverse characteristics of nature; flora and fauna, and the feeling of satisfaction that
she gets from creating these stories on a surface using a handful of tools drive her.

Working mostly in realism and using oils, Sue hopes to draw the viewer into her world to impart to the onlooker the beauty of the
created world of wildlife and of human beings. She would like to inspire humankind to be aware of the beauty and that we as t he
'keepers' of this planet have the responsibility to safe it for future generations.

Sue was born in 1949 in Mutare, Zimbabwe and studied graphic art at the Bulawayo Art School, Zimbabwe. She is well travelled and
has had stays in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and South Africa. When asked about her undeniable talent and what is behind it,
Sue simply answers; ‘It is in my blood!’
Sue Maas
Ladies and Lace
Oil on canvas
76cm x 102cm
Sue Maas
The Matriarch
Oil on canvas
91cm x 76cm
Sue Maas
Approaching Fire
Oil on canvas
61cm x 50cm

Sue Maas
Serenity
Oil on canvas
102cm x 51cm
THOM OGONGA
Born and bred, schooled and now living & working in Nairobi, Thom started out as a painter but with time has ventured into
printmaking and occasionally tries out his hand in photography, video and site-specific installations.

Ogonga is not only interested in identity and socio-political narratives & interrogations as themes of his work, but also in the daily
happenings of the city he lives in. He is fascinated by the night life and the beauty of women, as is evident in his work. His art is clean,
reductive and illustrative, often working with the female form.

He has exhibited widely in Kenya and abroad and also participated in several International Artists Workshops.

He also took part in special projects like the travelling billboard (images in transit) and painting with refugees in the camps (building art
together) and was awarded the 2nd prize in the painting category in the Elysee Treaty competition in 2006.
Thom Ogonga
B&W- 06
Acrylic and charcoal
100cm x 100cm
Thom Ogonga Thom Ogonga
B&W- 02 B&W- 03
Acrylic and charcoal Acrylic and charcoal
50cm x 50cm 50cm x 50cm
YASSIR ALI
Yassir Ali is a Sudanese artist who is currently living in Nairobi, Kenya. He graduated in 1997 from the Fine Art Department of Sudan
University for Science and Technology.

His art work is inspired by Nubian culture. He uses the Nubian motifs colours and atmosphere. His paintings are intense and full of
texture dotted with patches of vibrant paint on an already bright canvas. Yassir’s work is loaded with colours of blue, re d, ochre and
orange. ‘These are the colours of the Nubian people and they occupy the subject in my works’.

On why all his art works are untitled, the artist says “I do not like confining my ideas to a subject. My art can speak for itself without me
having to interpret it to anyone.”

Since 1998 Yassir has been involved in many projects for Sudanese children, for example Nafage Art Workshop at Abd elKarim
Mirghani Cultural Center (AKMCC), Sudan. He is also responsible for promoting help for displaced and deprived children since 2000 for
organization called Children’s Culture of AKMCC.

He is also member of the Almada Art Group Union for Sudanese Artist and member of Kuona Trust in Nairobi.
Yassir Ali
Untitled 19
Mixed Media Tapestry
165cm x 210cm
Yassir Ali
Untitled series 9-12
Framed
Mixed Media
70cm x 70cm
Yassir Ali
Untitled series 13-14
Framed
Mixed Media
70cm x 70cm
Yassir Ali
Untitled series 15-16
Mixed Media
70cm x 70cm
Yassir Ali
Untitled 7
Mixed Media
130cm x 130cm
Yassir Ali
Untitled 8
Mixed Media
100cm x 100cm
Yassir Ali
Untitled 9
Mixed Media
100cm x 100cm
ZERIHUN SEYOUM

Zerihun Seyoum has been interested in art for nearly as long as he can remember, and since the age of 7 has focused his attention on art almost exclusively.
By the time he was 13 years old Zerihun had won a prestigious art award from the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, for a drawing that advocated for people in
Ethiopia living with HIV/AIDS, establishing his interest in subjects of a contemporary nature.

Along with his other studies, he immersed himself in art during the four years of his high school education, exploring both drawing and painting. Upon
graduation from high school, Zerihun pursued a diploma in Fine Arts and Design (Painting) at Addis Ababa University, graduating in the year 2000.

Following his studies at Addis Ababa University, Zerihun taught art for three years in various art schools in and around Addis Ababa. Teaching art allowed him
to hone his artistic skills, while nurturing his own passion for art and instilling that passion in others.

With these experiences in mind, Zerihun determined to establish his own studio and teaching centre, which he opened in 2003 and named “Embassy of
Ideas”. Since that time Embassy of Ideas has evolved into an environment that welcomes other artists from Ethiopia and around the world – becoming an
embassy of collaboration and creativity.

Zerihun’s university education introduced him to Western artistic traditions and painting styles, and his early work has a basis in a realistic, representational
approach. After graduation, however, Zerihun found himself returning to stories from his childhood and traditional Ethiopian art forms, while also
incorporating ideas from the Expressionist and other Modern art movements.

This fusion of artistic influence results in a distinctive painting style, in which bold colour and geometric patterning create dynamic figures, shapes and
textures.
Zerihun Seyoum
Fighting With Shadow
Oil on canvas
110cm x 110cm
Zerihun Seyoum
Structure IV
Oil on canvas
80cm x 115cm
Zerihun Seyoum
Structure II
Oil on canvas
70cm x 90cm
 ART
GREETING CARDS

8 carefully chosen artworks by African artists have been selected to produce this gift
set of folding greeting cards. They come packed in cellophane bags, are wrapped with
water lily string and have an blank gallery tag so you can write a message if you’re
planning to give the card set as a gift.
For all designs and more information please see our Facebook page
on.fb.me/18bSVy2 or order your set of cards by emailing us on [email protected]
 SCULPTURES
Prices are exclusive of shipping. Secure shipping can be arranged worldwide.
DENNIS MURAGURI
SCULPTURES
For the artists biography
and his work on canvas
please go to page 102

Sculpture to the left

Dennis Muraguri
Commercial Tunes
Mixed media sculpture
20cm x 10cm x 210cm
USD 2,000

Sculpture to the right

Dennis Muraguri
Swagga
Mixed media sculpture
20cm x 10cm x 154cm
USD 2,000
Dennis Muraguri
International Herb
Mixed media sculpture
55cm x 10cm x 75cm
Jack of all Trades

The piece is based on how some people

want to do it all, regardless of whether
others can do it better or not. In a political
sense this refers to dictators who want to
run everything their way, which of course is
not the best way of handling things in a
modern society!

Dennis Muraguri
Jack Of All Trades
Mixed media sculpture
42cm x 25cm x 100cm
Obama or The Portrait of a Politician

This piece is firstly the portrait of Obama,

but deeper still, it is the image of most
politicians. One side of the sculpture shows a
politician with a microphone, symbolizing
the media. The media portray their
opponents as the beast [back side of the
sculpture] but in the end they are one and
the same and if tables were turned the latter
would do the same. The chain symbolizes
the fact that politicians are also slaves to
their politics.

Dennis Muraguri
Obama or The Portrait of a Politician
Mixed media sculpture
50cm x 30cm x 77cm
EMMANUEL LWANGA
Born and raised in Mutundwe, a Kampala suburb, the third child of 10, Emmanuel’s love for sculpting developed at an early age when he
discovered that he could make figures out of the ant-hill soil in the home garden and that they would dry to a state of permanency when left out
in the scalding sun.

Because the Ugandan education system does not emphasize sculpture in the early years of school, he was formally introduced to sculpture in
2003 after joining Michelangelo School of creative Arts for a diploma in art and design.

It is there that he produced his first ever sculpture under the kind tutorship of Henry Mujuzi Kipemba. Working with several sculptors has
exposed him to various techniques and given him a chance to develop my skills.

Emmanuel is a multi-medium, multi-style sculptor, whose work ranges from traditional figurative and portraiture to representational abstracts.
Targeting mainly social issues, he loves working with a variety of materials but with a stronger attachment to clay.

This has mainly been so because he feels that clay provides him with various alternatives due to its flexibility and avails several outcomes both
expected and unexpected.

Emmanuel says that each work challenges the viewer to ponder their shared journey. No two people experience anything exactly the same, and
yet a perfect stranger can walk up to a piece of art and experience a connection.

The artist graduated in 2006 with a Kyambogo University Diploma and a Degree in Industrial and Fine arts from Makerere University, graduating
in 2013 with a First class honors degree.
Emmanuel Lwanga
Ponder
Terra cotta sculpture
32cm x 25cm x 70cm
Emmanuel Lwanga
Ssenga
Terra cotta sculpture
38cm x 28cm x 74cm
Emmanuel Lwanga
Tuwaye
Terra cotta sculpture
33cm x 28cm x 63cm
GAKUNJU KAIGWA

Gakunju Kaigwa has been sculpting since the early 1980s after receiving a Bachelor of Education degree in Fine Arts from Kenyatta
University. He later obtained a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Dundee in Scotland.

With his extensive experience at academies and apprenticeships in Europe and the United States, Gakunju may well be the most
versatile sculptor in Nairobi.

His materials range from stone, wood and bronze, to steel, resin and fibre-glass. He sees his artistic role as that of a storyteller and
feels that he has been given a unique opportunity to chronicle and comment on the times in which he lives in a visual and tangible
format.

He is interested in the limitless potential of mixed media and plans to take his work to a larger scale, possibly as commissioned in
public spaces throughout Kenya.
Gakunju Kaigwa
Grief (front elevation)
Resin/Fibreglass/Wooden base
44cm x 47cm x 77cm
Gakunju Kaigwa/Tapfuma Gutsa
Grief (front elevation)
Tuff stone/Wooden base
47cm x 104cm x 49cm
KEPHA MOSOTI
As a youth, Kepha started honing his artistic skills by figure, nature and landscape drawing, but the urge to sculpt grew more and more as
years went by.
He is now one of Kenya’s foremost sculptors.
Nyanza province and Kisii in particular, where Kepha was born and raised, has a rich history of curving and sculpting, and this had a great
influence in his career as an artist.
His wooden and mixed media sculptures are characterized by a blend of both realism and abstract forms. Using fire sometimes, he
achieves remarkable results as the wood and its features are accentuated by burning them and later brushing off the edges.
He also paints, but leans more towards sculpting as he feels 3 dimensional pieces readily express emotion, including features and
expressions on the human face. He favours the human form too saying he relates to it better than anything else.
Kepha also makes exemplary pieces based on footwear, with some that have socio-political stories behind them. The sculptor is heavily
inspired by fellow Kenyan artists Cyrus Kabiru and particularly Dennis Muraguri, who he shares similar themes. He holds a Diploma in Fine
Arts from the Buruburu Institute of Fine Arts and currently works in the Kenyan capital; Nairobi.
Kepha Mosoti
High top shoes
Wooden sculpture
16cm x 53cm x 14cm
Kepha Mosoti
African Beauty
Wooden sculpture
17cm x 7cm x 111cm
Kepha Mosoti
Curiosity
Wooden sculpture
16cm x 53cm x 14cm
Kepha Mosoti
The Witchdoctor
Wooden sculpture
16cm x 53cm x 11cm
PATRICK MULONDO
Patrick Mulondo is one of Uganda’s youngest yet most promising talents- he fuses a burning love for sculpting and a great talent for
visual arts in a highly dynamic way.

Patrick is intrigued by the challenge of creating entirely unique pieces from a largely random collection of discarded objects by welding,
and is particularly fond of the human form.

Mulondo feels that giving these old, common items a new and extraordinary life in the form of sculpture is artistically very challenging,
yet he gets a huge sense of gratification from the process and ultimately the completion of his breathtaking works.

The artist also designs his pieces so that they can be highly interactive and prompt viewers to question the reality of what they see.
Some are left unfinished to add to the element of mysticism that he seeks to convey.

When asked what drives him, Mulondo says, “My classmate reactions fuel my motivation.” One look at any of the sculptor’s piec es and
you will understand why!

Mulondo was born in Uganda in 1989 and holds a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts degree from Makerere University.
││

COMMISSIONS
Have you seen artwork you love but which is not available any longer? Do you adore the
style of a certain artist and would like to have an original piece, created only for you? Or
do you have a specific space to furnish with art which needs to meet certain
requirements? Why not commission a piece from the artist!

We work very closely with the artists in our gallery and are happy to get a quote for your
own commissioned piece.

Patrick Mulondo’s ‘Rock It!’ was a commissioned piece for a client and showcased at
The Sands at Nomad Hotel in Diani Beach: http://goo.gl/IkbRjB
‘Rock It’
Junk Metal Parts
32cm x 55cm x 174cm
Patrick Mulondo
Curiosity
Junk Metal Parts
40cm x 55cm x 70cm
Patrick Mulondo
Spark into the future
Junk Metal Parts
97cm x 49cm x 53cm
Patrick Mulondo
My Identity
Junk Metal Parts
69cm x 41cm x 30cm
Patrick Mulondo
Flanked by beauty I
Mixed media sculpture
45cm x 35cm x 80cm
PIM NICOLAI

The architect, designer and sculptor Pim Nicolai has worked on some of the most unique properties throughout Africa and
describes his projects as having been inspired by indigenous architecture.

Living more than 20 years in Kenya while designing and realizing exclusive real estate, he has often found himself developing some
of the most remote locations in Africa.

This vast knowledge of African design can be seen in his otherworldly sculptures and creations that are exhibited both at the gallery
and in numerous other establishments on the continent.

Being inspired by his creative wife Muthoni Mahinda and the rich cultural heritage of Africa, he is now focused on creating art for
interiors

Admiring the simplicity of African rural life, he incorporates the basic natural elements like wood, stone and metal in his work, more
recently producing coconut sculptures and chandeliers.

Pim Nicolai was born in the Netherlands, lived in the US and studied in Paris, France. He also attended the Free Art Academy in
Amsterdam studying monumental Arts.
Pim Nicolai
Beach Boy
Reclaimed Coconut Wood
71cm x 73cm x 164cm
Pim Nicolai
African Totem Pole 1&2
Reclaimed telephone poles
15m x 27cm x 142cm
‘
PIM NICOLAI’S ‘BREASTS OF LIFE’

Breasts of Life’ tell a story originating

from Malawi, a country where breasts
only come second to god. They provide
life and thus are particularly revered.

Proof of this can be seen all over the

country as various structures are
decorated with breasts, including
doorposts, windows and with sculptures
depicting the same a common sight.

Pim Nicolai
Breasts Of Life
Reclaimed Coconut Wood
47cm x 49cm x 157cm
TOM ONEYA
There are very few clay sculptors in developing countries like Kenya. This is because the
training is not diversified enough to show and encourage the potential of artists and to
help further their talents.
However, born in the early 1960’s Tom Otieno Oneya already developed a strong interest in the art of clay sculpture in his young
childhood years. He had no proper art teacher throughout his primary level of education, a factor that did not hinder the progress of
his unique talent in working with this medium.
A new wind of positive transformation on Oneya’s quality of art blew when he joined Nyabondo High School for his secondary
education.
At this school Tom managed to join a group of young and talented artist under the tutelage of the late Father Leo Bartels of Nyabondo
Mission in Kisumu district. Under the guidance of Father Leo, Tom could develop and hone his skills in the fine art of clay sculpturing.
After completing his secondary education Tom joined the Agoro Sare High school. He was admitted as the only student for the subject
of Art. The lack of peers did not discourage him in his passion for the subject, and he enjoyed the focus and attention of an art teacher
hired especially for him.
Finally, Oneya joined the Kenya Polytechnic in 1989 for his Diploma Course in Graphic Design.
Tom decided to become a fulltime artist after he successfully completed his college training and now works full time as a clay sculptor.
Tom Oneya Tom Oneya
Turkana woman with baby Masai woman with baby
Clay sculpture Clay sculpture
21cm x 19cm x 57cm 20cm x 18cm x 52cm
Tom Oneya Tom Oneya
Thinking Bald Man Breastfeeding Maasai Woman
Clay sculpture Clay sculpture
23cm x 19cm x 31cm 25cm x 17cm x 33cm
Tom Oneya
Lost In Thought
Clay sculpture
27cm x 17cm x 26cm
Tom Oneya Tom Oneya
Treasure hunter Firestarter
Clay sculpture Clay sculpture
30cm x 18cm x 20cm 30cm x 18cm x 15cm
Tom Oneya
Thinking Masai woman
Clay sculpture
27cm x 20cm x 30cm
 ART
GREETING CARDS

8 carefully chosen artworks by African artists have been selected to produce this gift
set of folding greeting cards. They come packed in cellophane bags, are wrapped with
water lily string and have an blank gallery tag so you can write a message if you’re
planning to give the card set as a gift.
For all designs and more information please see our Facebook page
on.fb.me/18bSVy2 or order your set of cards by emailing us on [email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHY
CHRISTOPH BRANDL
Throughout his artistic career Christoph Brandl has experimented with mixed media, among other projects decorating New York’s subway walls with his photo collages in pre-digital
times.

After 12 years of living abroad Brandl moved back to his hometown Berlin, Germany, where he photographed unusual places, such as beautiful but deserted factories or mysterious
subway shafts. Since 2010 Brandl has been working with the National German Railway Company (Deutsche Bahn), decorating their stations with his original artwork.

In 2014, Brandl moved to Kenya to explore an unknown subject: Nature. Upon his arrival in Diani Beach, he felt overwhelmed by the sheer grandezza of nature and, after some
time, realised what is causing this feeling- not the sea, nor the sky, nor the jungles alone, but the experience of all these elements - simultaneously. “In Limbo” came into existence.

With “In Limbo” Brandl tries to express the elements of sea, land, air - all at the same time. The works he is presenting here consist of different layers. Just like a painter adds layers
of colours to a canvas, Brandl, too, lays (digitally) the different photos on top of each other – keeping each element in limbo. Christoph Brandl holds a degree in Visual Arts from
New York University (1992).
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014 Greifswald (DE), Koeppenhaus, Goods and Chattels
Berlin (DE), Freni & Frizioni, Art Works 1986-2014
Berlin (DE), Stilwerk, Glas foundry, Series Whispering Places
2013 Berlin (DE), Freni & Frizioni, La Laguna
2012 Ulm (DE), Central Railway Station, On Site (permanent exhibition)
2011 Hamburg (DE), Ars Vini, Stars and Stripes
2010 Berlin (DE), Max Karl, The Tent

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2015 Duisburg (DE), Ruhrbiennale, Alte Heimat - Neue Heimat
Schramberg (DE), Stadtmuseum, Getting Smart
2014 Berlin (DE), Museum the story of Berlin, And Now? - Fukushima and the aftermath
Greifswald (DE), Kunst im Block, Conquering Places
2013 Passau (DE), Donaupassage, Hark, the flood
Basel (CH), Wasserfilter im Bruderholz, Provocate
Basel (CH), Basel Münster, Wie ein Senfkorn
2012 Hamburg (DE), Ars Vini, Unorte
Christoph Brandl
In Limbo I
Superimposed photograph
140cm x 80cm
Christoph Brandl
In Limbo III
Superimposed photograph
140cm x 80cm
Christoph Brandl
In Limbo V
Superimposed photograph
140cm x 90cm
Christoph Brandl
In Limbo IV
Superimposed photograph
140cm x 80cm
Christoph Brandl
In Limbo VI
Superimposed photograph
140cm x 80cm
Christoph Brandl
In Limbo II
Superimposed photograph
140cm x 90cm
SHIV KAPILA
Shiv is a Raptor expert and self-taught wildlife photographer working primarily with
two of Africa’s most charismatic birds of prey: the Martial Eagle and the African Fish Eagle.

Shiv has spent the last three years in India, working with vultures, and in Kenya, spending much time in Naivasha and on the Athi Plains
to study raptors.

But as a photographer, his focus is not only on birds of prey but also on mammals – Shiv takes amazing photos of Wildebeests, Zebras
and other larger wildlife which not only bring forth the raw beauty of Africa, but its soft side as well.

To sell and exhibit his art is an opportunity for Shiv to raise funds for his upcoming PhD study, to begin at The University of Edinburgh
in 2013. He plans to focus on a African raptors and their inter-specific ecological requirements and relationships in the Samburu district
of northern Kenya.

Shiv’s photographs have been published on several occasions in newspapers and magazines such as The East African, The Guardian
(UK), The Telegraph (UK), Swara (the journal of The East African Wildlife Society), Kenya Birding, Africa Geographic and National
Geographic Magazines.

Born in Nairobi in 1986, Shiv attended school in England from a young age before attaining a degree in Geology from the University of
Bristol. He also holds a Masters qualification in Conservation from University College London (UCL).
Shiv Kapila
Horizons 1
Photograph on canvas
30cm x 42cm
Shiv Kapila
Horizons 3
Photograph on canvas
42cm x 30cm
Shiv Kapila
Crocodiles Feeding
Photo, mounted and
Framed as one piece
66cm x 20cm
Shiv Kapila
African Sunset
Photograph on water colour paper
60cm x 42cm
Shiv Kapila
Eternal Mountain
Photograph on watercolour paper
60cm x 42cm
Shiv Kapila
Speed
Photograph on water colour paper
60cm x 42cm
Shiv Kapila
Warhol 1-4
Photograph on canvas
30cm x 42cm
 ART
GREETING CARDS

8 carefully chosen artworks by African artists have been selected to produce this gift
set of folding greeting cards. They come packed in cellophane bags, are wrapped with
water lily string and have an blank gallery tag so you can write a message if you’re
planning to give the card set as a gift.
For all designs and more information please see our Facebook page
on.fb.me/18bSVy2 or order your set of cards by emailing us on [email protected]
COMMISSIONED PIECES
COMMISSIONS
Have you seen artwork you love but which is not available any longer? Do you like the style of a certain artist and want to have an original
piece, created only for you? Or do you have a specific space to furnish with art which needs to meet certain requirements? Why not
commission a piece from the artist! We work very closely with the artists in our gallery and are happy to get a quote for your own
personal and unique art piece.
PAINTED ART SCULPTURE MONUMENTS
A client selected artist Jimnah Kimani, Patrick Mulondo’s ‘Rock It!’ sculpture The Diani Beach Art Gallery was
whose work can be seen at Java Coffee was a commissioned piece for a client commissioned to create a magnificent
Houses in Nairobi and Mombasa, for a and showcased at The Sands at Nomad sculpture to be the focal point of the
commission. The piece now adorns a Hotel, Diani Beach, Kenya. multi-million Dollar EnglishPoint Marina
company board room in Dubai. project in Mombasa, Kenya.
Renowned Kenyan artist Gerard Oroo
Motondi was engaged to create the
sculpture, which can now be viewed at
English Point Marina.
The stages of a For a detailed account of the
commission include commission project please visit our
the concept, sketch Facebook page.
on canvas or model
sculpture, and final
creation of the piece
[email protected] • www.dianiart.com
PO Box 5702 • Diani Beach 80401 • Kenya
www.facebook/diani.art.gallery
Twitter: @DianiArtGallery
+254(0)706 629 655