Fewer galleries, shrinking art space (East African)

“[The Art Space] came onto the art scene in late 2015 with great enthusiasm. Since then, the gallery has held 12 shows and featured works of artists from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.

The primary goal of The Art Space was to drive art consumption in the local market, which they achieved by selling artworks at an average of Ksh20,000 ($200) apiece.

Wambui said that they got more sales through their website and brochure than from direct gallery purchases, and she plans to keep these platforms active as part of their future “gallery without walls” model.

She will also continue with pop-up exhibitions in non-traditional spaces. The Art Space recently curated a show of works by Patrick Kinuthia and Emmanuel Jambo at the Lord Erroll restaurant in Nairobi.” – Kari Mutu