The African Renaissance Is Now

Kenya Thu 10-12-2009

The African Renaissance Is Now
By Margaretta wa Gacheru

AfricanColours brought together a stellar group of Kenyan artists early in December for a two day brainstorming workshop on theme “Selling the Arts/Staying Relevant.

Held at Nairobi’s leading art centre, the RaMoMA Museum of Modern African Art, workshop organisers William Ndwiga, Clients Relations RaMoMA and Maggie Otieno, General Manager www.africancolours.com had assembled a score of Kenya’s most prolific and creative contemporary artists to share ideas and hear words of wisdom from art collectors, art institution managers, and even one university professor of marketing.

The result was an electrifying two days worth of dynamic debates, soul searching, constructive suggestions and a fair share of controversy too. For the artists were not only grappling with issues associated with local, regional, and international art markets—like how to penetrate and participate more fully in each of these venues.

They were also tackling more philosophical questions like how does one measure the value of his or her art. For instance, does he value it in terms of personal satisfaction, or against commercial standards set by art institutions or by the art market?

Story Moja founder and director, Muthoni Garland, adressing the workshop.

One of the big questions that recurred throughout this fascinating two days at RaMoMA was--should artists feel ashamed to think more commercially about their creative output? Or rather, should they see their art as their “bread” as Ndwiga called it, as their means of surviving in material terms. A few of the artists resisted thinking about their art in such commercial terms. One even quoted Vincent Van Gogh—who died dirt poor—as a role model!

But many more frankly welcomed the opportunity to consider better ways of marketing their art, especially in the terms shared by Professor Mary Kimonye – CEO Brand Kenya who spoke at length about everything from understanding the mindset of your prospective market to branding your art and promoting your work online and offline.

Most of the artists present were not in the least offended by the notion of becoming more entrepreneurial or by seeing their art as a business. For instance, the Ngecha-based artist Sebastian Kiarie frankly said, “This is the kind of workshop I have been waiting for.”

For many of the artists, the highpoint of the workshop came when the Channel Island-based art collector Anthony Athaide came to share his views on art and business. His deep appreciation of Kenyan art and artists was particularly gratifying for those present since Athaide sincerely believes Kenyan culture is in the middle of a ‘Renaissance’ and that visual artists, though still not fully understood or appreciated, are a driving force in that renaissance.

“The problem is that Kenyan art has not yet been properly promoted,” he said. “It hasn’t had the exposure it deserves, but you just wait: In ten years time, Kenyan artists will be globally recognised!”

Whether the local art institutions will spearhead the kind of promotion and exposure that Athaide was talking about became a hot point of debate during the later hours of the workshop. Directors of three local art centers spoke after Athaide. Danda Jaroljmek from Kuona Trust, Shine Tani from the Banana Hill Art Studio, and Joy Mboya of The GoDown art centre all explained how each played their part in advancing the visual arts in Kenya.

But it was Shine whose point seemed most salient: “We need more art institutions to create a more competitive and vibrant climate for the arts,” he said. “We need more art centres working with and for the artists.” Underscoring his point, AfricanColours Director Andrew Njoroge noted that more art centres would create “more destinations, and more experiences” for the public to engage with African art and artists.

Story Moja founder and director, Muthoni Garland, adressing the workshop

Fore front: Kamal Shah, Margaretta wa Gacheru, Allan Githuka and other paricipants
in one of the workshop sessions.

Shine’s challenge to the artists to ‘start up your own art centres” hit a sensitive chord for the Redhill-based artist Patrick Kinuthia. Currently exhibiting at Café des Arts, Kinuthia is one Kenyan artist who is living comfortably off of his art. But Shine’s challenge—not to wait for foreign donors to come to save us, but rather to work together creatively to promote each other’s art—was something that made sense of Kinuthia.

“He’s the first artist I’ve heard speak about artists giving back to each other, and that makes a lot of sense to me.” “We should become donors ourselves, not wait for donors to come and give us hand-outs,” Shine said.

At a time when donor funds are drying up and many of the foreign agencies have given notice they are terminating their funding for the arts, Shine’s challenge is more like a clarion call for artists to get more entrepreneurial and to understand how to be more effective of doing what Tony Athaide has said Kenyan artists need to do, which is to find effective ways to market our African art both locally and globally.

“Africa is ready for this kind of change. The African Renaissance is now,” were the art patron’s parting words. The challenge is now in the hands of the artists themselves. That was the upbeat mood and positive note on which the workshop came to an end.This is just one amongst many other artists’ workshops that AfricanColours will be engaging in the year coming 2010.

The workshop was also supported by Rahimtullah Museum Of Modern Art- RaMoMA.

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