East African Art Catalog

public sale

Kenya | Tanzania | Uganda | Ethiopia

Kivuthi Mbunu Mark Kassi Jeff Wambugu Melkamu Bahiru Tsegalidet Tefera

In the Fall of 2012, the Circle Art Agency commenced the first public auction of contemporary art originating exclusively from the East African region. Works from artists from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Sudan and other regional nations were included and sold to a range of international art collectors. The event not only marked a momentous development in the global recognition of the talents of artists from this previously underrepresented region of the world but it also heralded the growing value said work is accumulating in the international art market.

Sales in the general African and Oceanic art category increased 14 percent at Sotheby’s last year for a total of $41.7 million in sales, with a 71 percent increase in the number of buyers from 2012 to 2013. This surge in interest and financial investment extends to the East African art market. Though many of the elder artists are garnering the largest asking prices, the young artists are leading the charge to solidify the East African market for years to come.

These artists are in alignment with the overall trend of Africa’s status as the youngest continent in the world and represent the coming onslaught of African creativity and ingenuity.

With the work of East African artists rapidly growing in popularity in Africa and Europe, we are honored to spearhead the effort to spread the talents of the artists represented in this collection to North America. All of the pieces herein come directly from the studios of the individual artists in their home nations. The absence of intermediate entities allows for the sale of these works at a price point that is well below that found in galleries and auctions and provides absolute assurance to the authenticity of their provenance.

As the majority of experienced art collectors will share, it is recommended that art lovers begin their collections with art that speaks to them personally and enlivens their daily experience. Even greater, the knowledge that the reward from your investment can appeal to personal esthetics and increase in monetary value provides for even greater opportunity and satisfaction.

Kivuthi Mbunu Kenya (1947­ ) Kivuthi Mbuno has established himself as one of the definitive artists in the East African region. He represented the Kenyan pavillion at the 2013 Venice Biennale and has often been chosen to represent the country in Pan­African exhibitions.

Self­taught, Mbuno has used largely ink, color pencils and pastels to create a symbolic universe of animals, humans, signs of traditional life and huge spaces based on the stories and myths of his Wakamba people.

His paintings are often noted for both the philosophy found in his symbolic renderings of lives revolving around nature and their easy esthetic beauty.

Mbuno’s work has been featured prominently in the books African Explorers ­ 20th Century African Art by Susan Mullin Vogel and Contemporary Art of Africa by Andrew Magnin and Jacques Soulillou.

He has exhibited widely, in museums and private galleries across Africa, Europe and North America including the Saatchi Collection in London and the Center for African Art in New York.

Any One Have a Say Acrylic on Canvas Size: From Artist Studio

$4500

Twiga Na Tumbil Acrylic on Canvas Size: From Artist Studio

$4500

Nyambuni Kwake (At His Home) Acrylic on Canvas Size: From Artist Studio

$4500

Mark Kassi Uganda (1978 ­ ) Kassi often adds unique textures such as natural fibre to his paintings in accordance with his esthetic background and his degree in Textiles and Fabric Decoration from Kyambogo University. He is often identified as an artist that primarily paints scenes of wildlife but a review of his body of work reveals a good deal of experimentation with subjects, mediums and technique.

Kassi’s work is motivated largely by the swirl of cultural values and lifestyles he finds around him. He employs both realism and abstract forms to convey the social meaning implicit in his interactions.

Mentored by the realist painter Taga Nuwangaba, Kassi has been a primary driver of the the communal spirit displayed in the many Ugandan artist collectives formed by his contemporaries. The continuing drive to build a sustaining and edifying artistic community will ensure that Kassi will stay relevant in the Ugandan art community for many years to come.

Companionship Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Natural Fiber Size: From Artist Studio

$2

Independent Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Natural Fiber on Canvas Size: From Artist Studio

My Best Friend Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Natural Fiber on Canvas Size: From Artist Studio

Jeff Wambugu Jeff Wambugu has turned his keen observations and fascination with the rhythms and personas of everyday Kenyan life into a gripping artistic voice. Burrowing deeply within the seemingly mundane layers of life, Wambugu finds the majestic and the optimistic within every subject. His paintings In the Market and Market Rides have each been cited as one of the 10 most famous

Ab Woman Acrylic on Canvas Size: From Artist Studio

Femm Noir Acrylic on Canvas Size: 22W X 26L From Artist Studio

$1500

Daniel Alemayehu Ethiopia (1963 足 ) Though born in Addis Ababa in 1963, Daniel was based in Khartoum, Sudan where he attended painting and graphics design courses at the Khartoum Children and Youth Palace for several years. He obtained a certificate in cinematography from the Master of Fine Arts and Vocational Training Center in Addis Ababa in 2002.

Noted for his unique watercolor paintings, Daniel is one of the founding members of the Netsa Art Village and has had solo exhibitions at the National Theatre Gallery, Asni Art Village, Goethe Institute, and Asni Gallery. He has participated in numerous group足shows in Addis Ababa as well as internationally

Untitled Watercolor on Canvas Size: 18W X 24L From Artist Studio

$1200

Tanzania (1953 足 )

Acrylic on Canvas Size: 20W X 28L From Artist Studio

$1200

Ethiopia Artists

Oil and Acrylic on Canvas Size: 20W X 28L From Artist Studio $1200

Oil and Acrylic on Canvas Size: 18.5W X 22L From Artist Studio $800

Acrylic on Canvas Size: 20W X 28L From Artist Studio $800

Acrylic on Canvas Size: 20W X 32L From Artist Studio $800

Acrylic on Canvas Size: 16W X 24L From Artist Studio $800

Acrylic on Canvas Size: From Artist Studio $800