By Ogova Ondego
Published September 1, 2013
National Museums of Kenya (NMK), whose Nairobi National Museum (NNM) is increasingly coming to be identified as home to contemporary art in Kenya and eastern Africa, is expected to bring five exhibitions to art lovers in September 2013.
The month kicks off with a display of paintings by Tom Mboya (Perceptions of Life) and Ann Mwiti (Fleet Shadows) on September 4 at this house of culture.
Two days later, Design Kenya Society holds an exhibition aimed at public awareness on the importance of protecting elephants against poachers; it is aptly titled Designers for Elephant Conservation and runs September 6-11. African elephants are on the verge of extinction as poachers target them for their tusks. Alarmed, conservationists are doing everything at their disposal–including using art–to sensitise humanity on the importance of protecting elephants and rhinos. The exhibition is a display of pottery, paintings, posters, t-shirts, textiles, photographs and cartoons.
A literary festival called Story Moja Hay Festival comes up September 19-22. The organisers of the event not only promise that festivalgoers will “meet with the brightest thinkers from home and abroad” but also say it shall have “more than 60 events in four days of uncensored, engaging and stimulating environment” of “literature,technology, innovation, self-development, wealth creation, art,music…food and drinks”.
Coming on its heels will be paintings by a a Korean artist, Nam Eunju, that are said to be inspired by her Kenyan experience, September 28-31, 2013.
Still running at the Nairobi Museum (July 30, 2013 – January 31, 2014) are two exhibitions of ceramics and paintings of African traditional communities by Edward Njenga (A Son’s Dedication,1962 – 2013) and Leonard Kateete (Humanity through My Eyes), respectively.
