Category: Exhibitions
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Coffee and Conversation at the Kioko Art Gallery
I knew it was going to be something special when Lut, my wife, placed the big box in front of me after the family dinner. I could see the excitement on all the faces round the table. I opened the box, unwrapped the paper, and took out the most beautiful, the most ingenious birthday present…
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The National Museum: A House of Culture
I asked a few of my young colleagues how they spent their Christmas holidays when they were children – that is, if their families didn’t go up-country or to the Coast but stayed in Nairobi. Their stories didn’t sound much fun: spending the morning in church (wearing their new clothes bought for Christmas) and in…
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Exploring the World’s Largest Collection of Living Plants
‘Wow!’ I said. ’Wow!’ We were at Kew Gardens, and this moment of wonder was when we walked through the doors to the Ethereal White Persian Pond. Have a look at the photograph. Do you blame me for thinking the magnificent white lilies were real? Well, they are real – but they are made of…
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A Day of Contrasts at African Heritage House
They called it the gala night of the century. It was the African Twilight event at Alan Donovan’s place – the amazing African Heritage House on the edge of the Nairobi National Park. A lot of effort and emotion had gone into staging what Alan has said will be his last African Heritage Festival. I…
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Celebrating Pioneer Women of the Arts
The Nairobi Gallery is a gem. I don’t know whose smart idea it was to convert the old Provincial Commissioner’s office at the corner of Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue into an art gallery, but one man, Alan Donovan, has made it into a wonderful tribute to his old friend and business partner, Joseph Murumbi.…
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The Kioko Art Gallery
‘Wow!’ the lady said, as she stepped inside Kioko’s new place. ‘This could be an art gallery in New York.’ Kioko’s gallery is alongside the Lavington Shopping Centre along James Gichuru Road. You can’t miss the big rooftop sign. The lady was Vickie, a friend from the days when she and Kioko were studying at…
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A Sobering Visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial
A few weeks ago I wrote about my recent trip to Kigali, and briefly mentioned my visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. I didn’t have the space then to describe the memorial in detail, and it’s a place that certainly deserves more attention. It has been over two decades since the genocide, and Rwanda has…
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Kenya Crafts: The Story of Spinners Web
Despite the recent proliferation of malls and craft fairs around Nairobi, my Christmas shopping last month began how it usually does: browsing the miscellany of products on display at Spinners Web. From hand-woven carpets and wall hangings, to handcrafted sculptures, jewellery and furniture – they seem to have it all. There are 80,000 items on…
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Kenya’s Longest Running Film Festival Returns
‘One girl. One City. One night. One take’. That’s the tagline of ‘Victoria’, the highly acclaimed German film chosen to open this year’s European Film Festival, held at Alliance Francaise and the Nairobi National Museum. The festival was launched on Monday, and when I found out ‘Victoria’ had been selected for the opening night I…
Going Places Africa 