The Fourth AfricanColours Gallery Walk

Kenya Tue 18-03-2008

The Fourth AfricanColours Gallery Walk
By a Correspondent

There is yet some more good news for art lovers : The fourth AfricanColours GalleryWalk takes place in just two and a half weeks - on 5th April! AfricanColours is glad to host the first GalleryWalk this year, visiting art locations in Nairobi and its environs, and presenting the walk participants with the opportunity to buy art collector's items as well as learn more about Kenyan art and artists.

In keeping with last year’s approach of visiting a location within Nairobi and another out of the city limits, this year’s walk will take us to the new RaMoMa premises on 2nd Parklands Avenue and later out to Kitengela Glass, Kitengela.

Our journey will also include a visit to painter Jimna Kimani’s studio which neighbours the Kitengela glass studio. Jimna Kimani is the painter well known for his paintings at the Java coffee bars in Nairobi.

The main vision behind the GalleryWalks is to increase the visibility and presence of the arts and artists while creating an awareness for art venues.

The new RaMoMa, which recently opened its doors to the public on 15 March, is a destination worth visiting. Probably the biggest private gallery of art in East and Central Africa, RaMoMa’s expansion and new facility has been received with excitement and relief, by art lovers but more so by the artists, most of whom expressed their joy in having someone finally take their work seriously enough to have an entire building strictly set apart for art.

The new exhibition space houses varying genre of works by locally based artists.

Some of the gallery’s main features - which boasts of 1100square metres of exhibiting space - include a revolving exhibition space – named the Dodhia Gallery, a sculpture garden, a photography gallery, another gallery for hire – named Rahimtulla gallery, a space dedicated for RaMoMa’s permanent collection, a resource centre, a Safaricom sponsored children’s gallery, an artist studio, a print studio, an open air stage and performance area, an artists meeting area, a museum shop and a restaurant that is set to open later in April.

James Muriuki, curator at RaMoMa, will be at hand to take the participants round the many galleries and sections.
Kitengela Glass, the next stop, is world renowned for quality glassware and creative art. Nani Croze, the name and face behind Kitengela Glass is no new name in Kenya with some of her celebrated work on popular spots in Nairobi.

Her expertise and attention to detail are clearly seen in the glass wall at the newly refurbished Kenya National Museum, made with recycled glass blocks with fossils, masks and frame of slumped cultural tile gourds, beads and mixed media.

The mural at the entrance of the Goethe Institut, Maendeleo house in Nairobi and the mosaic wall at the five star Grand Regency Hotel are just a few examples. Nani will be our host in the afternoon visit to the glass studio.

At Kitengela glass, the operational motto is everything is unique and nothing is wasted – and it is a fact with everything made from recycled raw materials -transforming recycled glass and scraps of other materials into beautiful artworks, jewellery and home ware.

AfricanColours will organise transport to and from all the venues that we will be visiting. A registration fee of Ksh 1900 for adults and Ksh 1200 for children will be payable to AfricanColours Ltd at our offices in Chester house 1st floor, Koinange Street.

To avoid disappointment make reservations and payments ASAP, we anticipate a large group. Reservations will be made on a first come first served basis.

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