Meet the Kenyan art collectors

1. Tony Wainaina

Investment industry professional Tony Wainaina started paying attention to art in the 1990s, introduced to it by his former boss and an art aficionado, Kurt Savosnick.

“Initially, I had no interest in art and couldn’t understand what people saw in it,” says Wainaina.

“Then my boss gave me a book about great collectors which was my first exposure to why people collect art.”

Back in the 90s, the Kenyan art scene was less vibrant with just a few galleries such as Ramoma, Gallery Watatu, and Alliance Française actively staging exhibitions.

“Kuona Trust was just getting started at the Nairobi National Museum, in a small building crammed with artists,” he says.

The collector scene was dominated by expatriates and white Kenyans, with few locals involved. “Not much has changed actually,” he says.

Wainaina has built up his knowledge by reading widely, everything from the Italian renaissance to impressionism, modern styles to pop art. “The more I comprehend the personalities behind the artwork, the deeper my understanding of what motivates them.”

Whenever possible, he will visit local art studios to know what inspires them, how they view their craft, come up with compositions or scenes.“Our artists are deep people and many are self-made.”

When selecting art, he occasionally seeks advice but primarily relies on knowledge gained over the years and his instincts.

“Collectors looking to build thematic collections or strong valuation appreciation potential are typically the ones seeking direction from consultants,” he says. “But I’m not driven by either of these.”

Art viewing is a sensory experience for him, one that triggers senses of sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste.

“The artworks I’m drawn to speak multiple stories and evoke multiple emotions every time I look at them.” He likes to ‘step into his artworks’ and the paintings in his home and office range from hyperrealism to abstract, with figurative works, portraiture, cultural themes, and social commentary. A Peter Elungat painting was the first piece he bought.

“I couldn’t afford it but I somehow scrapped, borrowed, and managed to pay for it.”

He now owns artworks by the late Ugandan Geoffrey Mukasa’s whose rare paintings can fetch millions of shillings at the auction, Peterson Kamwathi, also a celebrated artist, Dennis Muraguri, Michael Wafula, Kaafiri Kariuki, Adel El Siwi of Egypt, and the late Jak Katarikawe.

Among his three-dimensional collectibles are Kenyan and Zimbabwean stone sculptures, Makonde carvings, and Bakuba masks. With tribal artefacts, notes Wainaina, clear provenance is essential otherwise, “there is the risk buying fakes from unscrupulous suppliers skilled at making the pieces appear very old.”

Beyond personal interest, Wainaina feels a need to promote public art in Kenya. “Public art is the most democratic art form, out in the open where everybody can engage with it,” he says.

Wainaina is the chair of the National Art Gallery of Kenya board committee, working to establish Kenya’s first national art space at the Nairobi Museum.

“Public art forces people to question and expands our understanding of art. And art practitioners need to be raised to the level of medicine and engineering as professions.”

2. Muthoni Garland

Muthoni Garland never did painting or drawing as a child but always admired people with artistic talent.

“I never thought of art as something accessible to ordinary people until much later in life,” she says.

Her first art piece was a commissioned sculpture by the late Ken Muniu, an advertising director-turned-scrap metal artist.

“After my mother passed away, I found a huge room full of junk, car parts, and things. She never threw anything away,” says Muthoni.

She contacted Muniu to collect the items and then told him about an idea she had for a gate ornament.

“I imagined a sculpture made of wood but Muniu used pieces from my mother’s junk.”

Now an impressive scrap metal lizard hangs outside her home and more of Muniu's works are in her garden.

“His art is made of junk yet he had incredible taste and there is humour running all through it.”

Growing up, the only art Muthoni saw were realistic wildlife paintings that she found too serious. Then, while visiting a market in Ghana many years ago, she saw some loosely carved sculptures and wooden pieces that astounded her.

“I just loved the freedom by the artists, creating without trying to have the features exactly represented,” says Muthoni, who is the founder and director of Storymoja Africa Publishers.

Abstract paintings are her favourite. “Art is more than the strokes on canvas, it is having a conversation with you which is what attracts me most.”

Muthoni enjoys the strong presence it brings to her house and likes large pieces that fill the walls.

“To me, art is as necessary as furniture or books.”

Serendipity more than anything else guides her choices. She does not consult but sees something at a gallery or elsewhere that strikes her interest.

“I do not buy art to make money nor approach it from an investment perspective.”

Her favourite artist is Ugandan-born Ash Uman. “He has incredible use of colour and the right balance of abstract and the recognisable.”

Other artists she likes are Joseph Bertiers, Patrick Mukabi, Martin Muhoro, and Robert Aswani. Her office space mostly has prints by Churchill Ongere, winner of the 2016 MASK prize.

Muthoni’s interest in art continues to grow and she says, “The more exposed you are to art and surround yourself with it, the more it feels necessary to your wellbeing.”

3. Vishal Agarwal

Vishal Agarwal is an investment banker of over 25 years-turned venture capitalist. He supports early-stage African entrepreneurs to reach the next level. In his pastime, he enjoys viewing and collecting contemporary paintings.

“Art provides context to a region and time, and the social commentary appeals to me,” he says.

Agarwal tends towards abstract works and some of his favourite artists are Paul Onditi, Dennis Muraguri, Sane Wadu, and the late Omosh Kindeh, whose painting once sold for Sh963,000.

Vishal dislikes the overabundance of wildlife paintings because “they just fuel stereotypes about Africa, don’t do us justice or talk to what’s happening from an ecosystem standpoint.”

On his office wall is a long, vibrantly coloured illustration by Wadu called The World Trade Centre. It depicts New York city’s bustling life, musical heritage, and the famous twin towers and is one of the few acrylics on paper by Wadu.

“Looking at social commentary through art at different times provides great context to what is happening, particularly with people and demographics. Art must be encouraged in that theme.”

Besides his private collection, Agarwal believes in supporting creatives by investing in them. The same principles underlying venture investment in start-ups can be applied to grow local arts.

“If local captains of industry support artists and find them the early-stage money for materials, to work on their techniques, make mistakes and showcase, it allows artists to get onto the world stage.”

In 2013, he sponsored an art competition and exhibition. The winner, Kenyan-based Sudanese artist, Eltayeb Dawelbait, was commissioned to create art for the PwC building.

He produced a magnificent piece called 'Spirits of the City'. It comprises over 100 old-fashioned carpenters’ tool boxes beautifully engraved with Eltayeb’s signature faces and painted in minimal but bold colours.

“A crowd of people on a street look kind of similar and blend in. But when you come close, each one has their own identity, character, and personality,” explained Agarwal about the piece.

Taking up two sections of wall from floor to ceiling, Eltayeb’s work mesmerises visitors to the building.

“I’ve seen CEOs and messengers alike staring at these carpenter boxes for ages. I love how people enjoy social symbols and react to the commentary in art and culture.”

A recent area of interest is NFT art whereby a painting becomes a non-fungible token available for sale globally.

“With NFTs, more people get interested in art because they have access to ownership in a fractional or broader distribution manner, and the artists get money,” he says.

NFTs, adds Agarwal, is one solution for distributing Kenyan art beyond traditional galleries.

“We must think about the value of this asset both from a monetisation standpoint and showcasing it globally.”

For him, art embraces a range of intellects, consumption habits, and lifestyles whilst provoking thought and reaction.

“But if we don’t challenge artists or invest in them, they may get lost or go down the path of commercialisation.”

4. Mutuma Marangu

Private investor and sculpture art enthusiast Mutuma Marangu has been interested in rock and stone sculptures since 2006. Initially, he collected paintings until his attention was drawn to Kisii stone carvings, an area he historically had minimal contact with.

“I wanted to correct that through an engagement of value to me and the creative people,” he says.

“But the Kenyan rock and stone sculpture scene at the time was undisciplined and disorderly.”

He is now actively involved in developing a contemporary Kenyan rock and stone art collection from a personal capacity.

Dancing Birds, his first supported public monumental piece, is a 20-tonne Kisii granite stone sculpture by Elkana Ongesa and permanently displayed at the US Embassy since 2010. Marangu supplied the materials for Ongesa and his team.

In 2014, a series of unexpected consequences prevented Ongesa from participating at the acclaimed Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC, and this turned Marangu’s emphasis from monumental scale sculptures to the exhibition and miniature pieces.

For several years now he collaborates closely with four Kisii sculptors, namely Gerard Oroo, Charles Duke Kombo, Peter Oendo, and Robin Mbera.

Marangu maintains a highly interactive relationship with the artists, engaging them in the form and themes of the sculptures.

“I am also keen to incorporate international best practices for the collection.”

Part of the private Mutuma Marangu Art and Sculpture Collection of over 300 pieces was exhibited at the Nairobi National Museum in 2019. In 2020, Marangu and the artists participated in Kenya House 2020, a virtual arts and music initiative by the Culture and Heritage ministry.

Marangu’s intellectual approach involves intensive research of global arts, studying rocks, geology, and the qualities of hand tools versus power tools.

Consequently, his artists work on a variety of stones such as Ukambani black granite, silicate stone, purple amethyst, blue lace agate, green basalt, pumice magma, Kisii soapstone, and even petrified wood.

Although has invested much stone sculpture art forms, Marangu is not interested in converting people towards art.

“Should there be more support for the artists? Absolutely, but I believe in starting with myself.”

Unlike in Nigeria or South Africa, Marangu finds a weak cultural association with the arts in Kenya going back to historic colonial experiences that segmented it out of society.

“Our cultural heritage does not bleed into other areas of our existence which reinforces the need for investment in the arts.”

Marangu has sold a handful of pieces but this is not his primary goal for collecting. “Investment in the arts is challenged by a clear route to global markets and monetisation for collectors and their collections.”

Meanwhile, he is reviewing ideas for potential sculpture exhibitions and future academic collaborations both locally and globally.

5. Wambui Collymore

Artist, art consultant, and gallery founder Wambui says that for serious art buying, one must improve their knowledge by visiting galleries, art exhibitions, and networking with other collectors.

“To understand the arts ecosystem, you have to immerse in it,” she says. “Read publications like the Financial Times and New York Times, even local publications, to understand global trends especially if looking at art as an investment.”

Wambui believes that anyone can buy art, not just high net-worth people. “There is art for every budget. If you are just starting then the best place to begin is at a gallery.”

Some people view galleries as ‘evil middlemen’ but Wambui says they are important for developing the industry, introducing new buyers to art, and helping established buyers to diversify their collections.

For people with modest incomes, Wambui suggests building a relationship with a gallerist to help in planning art purchases.

“They may even help you get a payment plan.”

However, even beginners need to understand their reasons for buying art, besides matching their home furniture.

“Art is very functional, and paintings or sculptures are like having a library.” Buying art may be a soul-stirring decision or for resale when the value increases. The wisest decisions, says Wambui, consider both these questions.

“It is about making very intentional purchases.”