Ongoing events at Kuona Trust
Kuona trust invites you to the’ Woman’s Vote’, an exhibition by Maryanne Muthoni
Kuona Trust welcomes you to view the exhibition “THE WOMAN’S VOTE” by the artist Maryann Muthoni which opened on Thursday 16th August 2012.
The Woman’s Vote is an interactive exhibition installed by Maryann Muthoni, an emerging contemporary female Kenyan artist based at Kuona Trust, Centre for Visual Arts. Muthoni comes from a generation of Kenyan contemporary artists who believe that art is a tool that can be used to ‘voice’ our societies plights.
Exhibition Opens: Thursday 16th August and runs until Saturday the 25th of August 2012.
The Woman’s Vote exhibition poster
Events to look forward to
KILIMANI SPEAKS presents Picha Sauti, Saturday 18th August 2012.
Kuona Trust has joined partnership with a community project of those who live, work, or play in the Kilimani area. This project has several aspects to it that will bring Kilimani together to reflect on Kilimani’s evolution, celebrate its vibrant present and envision its future.
A key part to this is documenting Kilimani as we see it through our lenses – optical and camera – in what is being called Picha Sauti. This creative community exercise kicks off this Saturday! Warm up your voices – cameras (smart phone or traditional) and let’s walk around Kilimani on Saturday, 18 August from 2-4 PM starting at Kilimani Primary School and ending at Kuona Trust Centre for Visual Arts.
This exercise is Kilimani’s opportunity to speak. Picha Sauti is people who care about Kilimani coming together to create pictures and words that form a compelling presentation of their shared aspirations for the area. For TWO weeks we invite EVERYONE to go out on their own or in groups as they wish to take pictures of buildings, businesses, sidewalks, trees/landscape, parking or anything you think is an important piece of the Kilimani story, e.g. to preserve, enhance or consider changing.
These photos will be shared online and compiled for a physical exhibition in a public venue in Kilimani. We invite everyone to snap and send your photos to kilimanispeaks@gmail.com by 1 September.
Craft Africa- an initiative to help raise funds for the Bring Zack Back Project
Craft Africa will be having an exciting fundraising event at Kuona Trust on the 25th of August 2012.The one of a kind craft fair aims to raise funds for the Bring Zack Back Home project. Zack is on his way to South Africa on his wheel chair, trying to get to the nearest spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre location. To bring him back, we need to raise Ksh 250 million to build a facility right here in Kenya. More information on http://www.bringzackbackhome.com/
Bring Zack Back Home Campaign
Soul Voyage
This will be the first of its kind Jazz event at Kuona Trust to be held on the 8th of September 2012. This is a splendid way for the family to spend a Saturday afternoon. For a modest fee, music lovers will be able to enjoy performances by various local jazz artists in a serene and relaxed atmoshere. You will also have the opportunity to visit the artist studios and meet the artists at Kuona –perhaps even buy some art. This is a monthly event- tickets available at the gate on the day.
“Unhidden”, Youth Arts exhibition
Join us on 31st August – 1st September as young artists aged between 13 -19 years of age, display over 40 pieces of work at the Kuona Trust Gallery. Kuona is keen to support youth and children in their journey and growth in the visual arts. At Kuona we take a keen interest in the mentoring of youth to create a new breed of artists in our communities.
The organisers want to provide an opportunity for families, young people and other interested groups to mingle and appreciate the beauty of the artwork produced by the youth while supporting them as they grow to expand the art awareness in Kenya.
Tickets for the event will be on sale from the week of August 13thand all the monies raised from ticket sales shall be donated to the Mobile Arts’ School of Kenya. The school was set up in 2006 with the aim of improving the creative capacity of young people.
Find Us Online
We would like to thank you for your patience and for bearing with us while our website has been down. We realized that the Kuona website needed some updating and a fresh new look and are pleased to announce that we will be launching the new site in just a couple of days.Find Us Online
We also have a very active blog space which is open to the public to share relevant art related discussions, ideas and comments. https://kuonatrustblog.wordpress.com/
If you have not already joined our Facebook group please do so – http://www.facebook.com/kuonatrust
Follow us on twitter-https://twitter.com/Kuona_Trust
Exhibitions
“Ithumba/ Living on the edge of the world was an exhibition by two of our resident artists Ntando Cele from South Africa and Mario Macilau from Mozambique.The exhibition combined a unique blend of performance art and photography, which pulled a large audience of curious onlookers. Ntando’s piece was about justice and fighting oppresion of women in society while Mario chose to highlight the plight of people living in the Dandora dumpsite. We were graced with the presence of Safaricom C.E.O. Bob Collimore, Camilla Veerman from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and our trustee Ian Vale among other dignitaries.
Boniface Mwangi,Sylvia Gichia and Bob Collymore at the Exhibition
Ithumba/Living on the edge of the World Exhibition at Kuona Trust
Living on the Edge of the World Exhibition by Mario Macilau
Exhibitions outside Kuona
The Sanaa ya Makaratasi
This exhibition featured an array of artists from across Africa who showcased a different genre of art produced from paper and using paper itself as work of art. Works ranged from sketches as a study for a final piece to lithographs, and other medium originally intended for paper, to works in which the medium itself is paper. The Nairobi National Museum provided space for this exhibition to artists from the 12 African countries, and two of these artists are Sudanese artists – Fawaz Elsaid, Yassir Ali, both based at Kuona Trust.
Sanaa ya Makaratasi Exhibition Poster
Nubian Art
This was a solo exhibition by Yassir Ali at the Talisman Restaurant in Karen. His work is strongly influenced by the Nubian culture which reflects his background. He works with acrylics on canvas using bright bold colours that give his paintings a vibrant feel.
Nubian atmosphere Exhibition by Yassir Ali
Paul Onditi at One Off Gallery
Paul Onditi’s paintings leave one in amazement, not just by the immence amount of work that he obviously puts into it, but by the intricate designs and technique applied. Most of his pieces have his signature figure and are recognizable by the lonely mystical man lurking in the shadows. Make sure you catch the show at the One Off Gallery in Rosslyn. The exhibition runs from the 29th of July to the 22nd of August 2012
Paul Onditi’s Exhibition at One Off Gallery images courtesy of Max Mason.
Omosh Kindeh and John Silver at Le Rustique
Two of the artists based at Kuona Trust, Omosh Kindeh and John silver had a joint exhibition alongside Wilson Mwangi at the Le Rustique restaurant in Westlands, Nairobi. The trio displayed the best of their works in an exhibition that ran for a period of four weeks to till the 5th of August.
Hivos Happy hour
Kuona’s effort to encourage corporates to visit the art space and mingle with our artists has born fruit and activities such as the Kuona Happy hour are highly successful. We were fortunate enough to have Hivos sponsor our last happy hour. Artists and staff from both Hivos and Kuona Trust got to interact and exchange ideas around art, politics and current issues. This was all over a cocktail with finger licking food proudly sponsored by Hivos and an exhiliarating performance by the Theatre Company.
Together with many partner organisations, Hivos contributes to a world with equal opportunities for people to develop their talents. Hivos attempts to realise this by offering financial support and by advising, networking, advocacy, providing education and exchanging knowledge. Hivos has been a long time partner and donor of Kuona Trust and have generously funded Kuona Trust for a period of ten years and we look forward to working with them in the coming future.
Hivos Happy Hour
Workshops
Photography Workshop by Mario Macilau
During his 3 months residency programme at Kuona Trust, Mario Macilau conducted a photography workshop. The aim of the workshop was to teach the basics of photography and give the paricipants a better understanding of the dynamics involved in taking a perfect picture.
Mario Macilau Workshop
Performance workshop with Ntando Cele
Ntando Cele, our resident artist who happens to be one of the most versatile performance artists in Africa worked with two women, under the coordination of Mumbi Kaigwa for seven days in a workshop whose end product was the brilliant performance at the opening dubbed Ithumba.
Performance Workshop at Kuona Trust with Roseline Odhiambo and Mary Kathomi
Children’s workshops with Beth Kimwele
Beth Kimwele has been holding a series of children’s workshops in her studio, showing them the delicate balance of the brush and paint as well as using other media to create artwork. It has been a good learning experience for the kids and a well deserved break from the school curriculumn.
Beth Kimwele’s workshop at Kuona Trust
The KiteWorkshop at Kuona Trust
The Kenyan Kite Festival team had a children’s workshop at the Kuona Trust grounds teaching children how to build kites. The workshop was inspired by the smARTpower Kite Project conducted a few months ago by Miguel Luciano, a former international resident artist at Kuona Trust. The children made life kites with life size images of themselves on them, and had the opportunity to fly the same kites during the 1st Kenyan Kite Festival held on the 12th August.
Screen on the Green workshop at Kuona Trust
Introduction to glass mosaic workshop
Twenty participants have recently completed an Introduction to Glass mosaic workshop that was facilitated by master glass artist Tonney Mugo. The one week workshop was extremely successful with all 20 participants fully engaged in the practical experience. Participants were awarded with certificates of participation at the end of the workshop. We are already receiving inquiries on the next glass workshop which we hope to have in a couple of weeks.
Glass Mosaic Workshop
School Visits
The Mirema School Art club came for a short tour of the space this month. The club had members from different grades as well as those from the special needs class. They were able to interact with the artists as well as getting advice on how they can improve on their artistic skills.
Mirema School Art Club visit to Kuona Trust
We also had a group of high school students visiting from Seoul National University, Korea. They had a chance to tour the space and learn abit more about African art. The group was very mult-disciplinary with only a few students majoring in art or art history. Cyrus Kabiru prepared a found objects workshop for this group which was a first time experience for all and they were able to learn and appreciate new forms and skills of working.
Soyeon Kim wrote, “Kenyan art is more like living than Korean art (as far as I’m concerned). After I made this wire art today, I felt in my heart that Kenyan art is near us, it’s all around and it’s quite active, like living.”
New artists
Our family is growing, and at a very fast rate I might add. Enigma Images joined us a few moths ago. This is a company that offers professional photography services and run by two gentlemen Amunga Esuchi and Ian. They work as a team taking on various projects and documentary work. Their focus is on portraying Africans as a proud people who are vibrant, creative and full of life contrary to the way it is sometimes portrayed especially by foreign media. As an introduction to the space, they gave a short presentation alongside Joel Lukhovi, an upcoming photographer and friend of Kuona who is steadily rising in the ranks of becoming one of the best young photographers in Kenya.
Amunga Esuchi and Ian Mwathi of Enigma Images
Presentation by Enigma Images and Joel Lukhovi
Brian became the second and most recent artist to join the space. He is an illustrator and digital artist. He has previously specialized in web design, branding and advertising and is now looking to spread his wings into other art mediums.
Maasai mbili (meaning two maassai’s) also came on board and have taken Kuona by storm. They have joined Kuona for a three month term and are working on a commission project showcasing the faces of Nairobi. They are also in collaborating on a project with the famous Maia Von Leko,a songwitter and musician based in Nairobi. We are thrilled to have them in our space.
Masaai Mbili at Kuona
Introducing our new resident artists
We have three exciting new resident artists all very strong personalities and well versed in the medium they work in.
Collin Sekajugo is an artist from Uganda who works in mixed media. He is also the brain child behind the Weaver bird project In Uganda that tries to work with the society using art as a way of creating employment.
Kuona Trust Resident Artist Collin Sekajugo
Leila is an amazing sculptor who makes extraudinary sculptures using mixed media. She joins us from Uganda as a provisional resident for a period of four weeks.
Resident Artist Leila Babiriye
Gadi Ramathan is a renowned print maker who currently happens to have his work at the Sanaa ya Makaratsi exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum. It is a group exhibition showcasing the works of some of the most creative artists in Africa. He is considered to be one of the youngest printmakers in East and Central Africa whose distinctive style always contained a concern for human issues and a reverence for natural beauty.
Kuona Trust Resident artist Gadi Ramadhani
Resource Centre
We are currently working on an online catalogue of the books in the library, to make it easier for people to access literature and other publications about art.
The Book of the Month is our very own “Thelathini: 30 Faces, 30 Facets”
Pulished by Kuona Trust in 2003, this book features an arts and culture throw-back as we reconnect with the art legends of the recent past.
Published in 2003 “Thelathini: 30 Faces, 30 Facets” was the first ever printed collection of contemporary Kenyan visual art. Assembled by members of the Kenyan arts community it was an introduction to contemporary artistic practice and an insight into the inspirations of many of East Africa’s best known artists of the time.
Consisting of artist interviews and more than 97 full colour plates, this book sought to present a glimpse into the kaleidoscope of Kenya’s contemporary visual art.
The Kuona art shop
Though relatively new the shop is growing steadily. We have new painting from the artists as well as unique new post cards. Thelathini is now on our shelves, it was published by Kuona Trust and has a biographies and pictures of some of the frontier artists on the Kenyan art scene. Few copies are available so make sure you get one!
Opportunities for artists
1. The European Capital of Culture
The NGO Košice 2013 is running an international Artist-in-Residence program for emerging artists from all over the world and out of all artistic disciplines and expressions.Three month residency in Kosice, Eastern Slovakia between February and December 2013
Free accommodation
Honorary, travelling and material costs provided.
Deadline: 20th of August 2012
send your application for the program before the 10th of September via emai l to adela.foldynova@kosice2013.sk
2. The Godown Arts Centre,Nairobi
The GoDown Arts Centre has engaged various city stakeholders on the topic of the City of Nairobi, around the theme“Conceiving a World Class African Metropolis,” (Vision 2030 Nairobi Metropolitan Area). It now seeks concept submissions. Selected submissions shall be facilitated for further development and will later be packaged and presented in EXPERIENCE NAIROBI 2013, a multi-sector, multi-disciplinary showcase of the City through exhibition, performance, installations, visual, audio-visual and digital expressions.
Experience Nairobi 2013 will run from May to July 2013.
3. Out Of the Circle arts residency
This residency is in an apartment in an Egyptian family building in Mohandessin area in the heart of great Cairo, Egypt. The apartment contains Out Of The Circle curator studio and two arts residency for visual artists (Egyptian and international female artists) of all media. The international artist gets a living space and a studio, with shared kitchen facilities and bathroom.
The artist has the possibility to stay for 3 to 6 months in 2013. Out of the Circle initiative supports also the management and exhibition of the artist’s project by the end of the residency.
For more information log in to: www.outofthecicle.org or send an email to info.outofthecircle@gmail.com
4. FLACC, Genk in Belgium
Open Call by FLACC for a artists and creates the conceptual, organizational and technical conditions for realizing unique artist projects.
When: Three month period or around 90 days divided over several periods between January 2014 till December 2014
Deadline: 1 September 2012
FLACC has metal and woodworking workshops, a digital studio (film and photography), and a foundry with a furnace and kilns for ceramics, bronze and glass applications, and an extensive workspace. The staff is knowledgeable about the production possibilities of nearby workplaces and collaborates with those workplaces and with schools and companies to give the artists the best possible support and assistance. An overview of all the facilities can be found here.
For more information contact Luuk Nouwen or Sarah Indeherberge at application@flacc.info.
5.Premio ORA
The award allows 40 internationa artists (emerging or mid-career) to have a solo show and a steady collaboration with one of the 40 active galleries participating in the project. Dealine 31/08/2012. For more information contact info@premio-ora.it or log on to http://www.premio-ora.it
6.Hotel Pro Forma
Hotel Pro Forma is an international laboratory of performance and installations. Perception, perspective and themes from the world are blended into a conceptual, visual and musical art form.
Atelier Hotel Pro Forma is now offering a unique opportunity to one or two professional artists with suitable projects. Applicants must therefore submit a concrete project proposal to develop during their residency.
The application deadline is 15 August 2012, and artists may begin at Hotel Pro Forma from the beginning of 2013, depending on the project and wishes of the individual artists.For more information log on to http://www.hotelproforma.dk. Applications should be sent to ba@hotelproforma.dk.
7. Bose Pacia
Bose Pacia invites artists to submit proposals for artist studio / residency use of the gallery space for six-week periods for October 2012 through March 2013. By turning the transitional gallery space into temporary artist studios on the ground-level in an active arts neighborhood, they are hoping to allow for an atmosphere of engagement and conversation around the creative process. Bose Pacia will arrange for a relevant studio visit for the artist at the end of his or her studio term and the public will be invited to stop in throughout the duration of the residency to see the artist in progress. Each studio residency term will culminate in an evening with the artist that will coincide with the monthly Dumbo First Thursday event. The program is open to artists of all media practices and we encourage innovative and experimental project proposals. Below we have listed additional information on eligibility and submission instructions.7. Bose Pacia
Dates of residencies:
-October 23, 2012 – December 18th (event: November 1st & December 6th closed Nov 22- 24)
-January 8, 2013 – February 16th (event: February 7th)
-February 19 – March 23rd (event: March 7th)
For more information loh on to: www.bosepacia.com
8. Pro Artibus AiR program
The planning of the residence program is of a long-term character and the first artists in residence will participate in the definition of the structure and formulation of the program. The Pro Artibus AiR program accepts 4-5 artists in residence in 2013. The residence period lasts 2-3 months.
The Pro Artibus Foundation offers the artists in residence a large furnished apartment at the campus of the Novia University of Applied Sciences in Ekenäs. A daily subsistence allowance of 36 EUR for 5 days/week is paid for the residence period and the trip to Ekenäs is compensated according to the most inexpensive form of transport. In addition to this the foundation offers a small production budget.
Freely formulated applications, along with project plan, CV and picture material in .jpg format shall be sent electronically to project leader Åsa Lönnqvist at asa.lonnqvist@proartibus.fi
Application deadline September 30th 2012.
9. The Bemis Center Chicago, IL
From the beginning, the art-making process has been the highest priority at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, where both the atmosphere and environment offer ideal situations for creative growth and experimentation. Artists from around the world come to the Bemis Center to work in this supportive community and confront new challenges.
This is a 3months programme where each artist is provided with a generously sized live/work studio with a private bathroom and 24 hour access to facilities including a wood shop, installation spaces, and a large sculpture fabrication facility.
Support $750 monthly stipend.
JULY 2013 – DECEMBER 2013
Application Deadline: September 30, 2012
KUONA TRUST 
Hi, am really happy to be involve with you people, am again happy to be an actor at KNT fully known as Chief Mariano. So how can i join you.