Art Auction East Africa

Modern and Contemporary
Art Auction East Africa 2023

Circle Art Gallery, Riara Road, Nairobi

15 November 2023 · 45 lots

A deliberately smaller, tightly curated sale of 45 lots of modern and contemporary East African art.

Record figures were achieved for Yony Waite (Lot 1), David Mzuguno (Lots 4 and 5), Gakunju Kaigwa (Lot 35) and Rosemary Karuga (Lots 28 and 29). Around 90% of lots sold, with total sales of approximately KES 28 million.

Artist focus: Rosemary Karuga. Kenya's pioneering collagist, the first woman to study fine art at Makerere, set a new figure in this sale with Mother (Lot 29) — a long-overdue recognition of a body of work made largely from cut paper and magazine scraps over five decades.

Showing 45 of 45 lots

Lot 1 — Yony Waite, Migrants End

Lot 1

Yony Waite

Migrants End, 1998

US$ 7,000 – 10,000

Sold US$ 10,096

Lot 2 — Francis Imanjama, Giraffes, undated

Lot 2

Francis Imanjama

Giraffes, undated

US$ 1,500 – 2,500

Sold US$ 2,583

Lot 3 — Francis Imanjama, At the River

Lot 3

Francis Imanjama

At the River, 1996

US$ 1,000 – 2,000 for the pair

Sold US$ 2,465

Lot 4 — David Mzuguno, Rainforest Birds

Lot 4

David Mzuguno

Rainforest Birds, 2010

US$ 3,000 – 4,000

Sold US$ 3,405

Lot 5 — David Mzuguno, Jungle

Lot 5

David Mzuguno

Jungle, 2007

US$ 3,000 – 4,000

Sold US$ 4,579

Lot 6 — Ancent Soi, Hat Maker

Lot 6

Ancent Soi

Hat Maker, 1999

US$ 3,000 – 6,000

Bought in

Lot 7 — Ancent Soi, Feeding flamingos

Lot 7

Ancent Soi

Feeding flamingos, 1999

US$ 3,000 – 6,000

Sold US$ 5,518

Lot 8 — Georges Ebrin Adingra, Dance – what a world of emotions

Lot 8

Georges Ebrin Adingra

Dance – what a world of emotions, 1993

US$ 2,000 – 2,500

Sold US$ 2,113

Lot 9 — Richard Kimathi, Woman Showering, circa 1998

Lot 9

Richard Kimathi

Woman Showering, circa 1998

US$ 3,000 – 4,800

Bought in

Lot 10 — Richard Onyango, I Love Africa

Lot 10

Richard Onyango

I Love Africa, 2003

US$ 3,000 – 4,000

Sold US$ 4,696

Lot 11 — Edward Francis Kiiza, Untitled, undated

Lot 11

Edward Francis Kiiza

Untitled, undated

US$ 2,000 – 3,000

Sold US$ 1,761

Lot 12 — Robino Ntila, a. Untitled (13 figures), undated

Lot 12

Robino Ntila

a. Untitled (13 figures), undated

US$ 2,000 – 3,000 for the set of three

Bought in

Lot 13 — Sane Wadu, Meditation

Lot 13

Sane Wadu

Meditation, 2023

US$ 2,500 – 4,000

Sold US$ 2,935

Lot 14 — Robert Saidi, Of African Beauty

Lot 14

Robert Saidi

Of African Beauty, 1995

US$ 5,000 – 7,000

Bought in

Lot 15 — Geoffrey Mukasa, Untitled (Boats on Lake Victoria), undated

Lot 15

Geoffrey Mukasa

Untitled (Boats on Lake Victoria), undated

US$ 3,000 – 5,000

Sold US$ 3,522

Lot 16 — Geoffrey Mukasa, Fleeing Zebras

Lot 16

Geoffrey Mukasa

Fleeing Zebras, 1990

US$ 14,000 – 18,000

Sold US$ 12,327

Lot 17 — George Lilanga, Husafi Wameno ata Ukiwa na Jino Moja, undated

Lot 17

George Lilanga

Husafi Wameno ata Ukiwa na Jino Moja, undated

US$ 3,000 – 5,000

Sold US$ 3,522

Lot 18 — George Lilanga, Untitled (Snake – bite), undated

Lot 18

George Lilanga

Untitled (Snake – bite), undated

US$ 2,000 – 3,500

Sold US$ 2,348

Lot 19 — Kamal Shah, Monsoon Lullaby

Lot 19

Kamal Shah

Monsoon Lullaby, 2012

US$ 1,000 – 3,000

Bought in

Lot 20 — Sukuro Etale, Kilifi Fisherman

Lot 20

Sukuro Etale

Kilifi Fisherman, 1987

US$ 5,000 – 8,000

Sold US$ 5,870

Lot 21 — Theresa Musoke, Dancing Figure with Pot, 1963, 2 editions available

Lot 21

Theresa Musoke

Dancing Figure with Pot, 1963, 2 editions available

US$ 2,500 – 5,000

Bought in

Lot 22 — Theresa Musoke, Untitled (Self Portrait)

Lot 22

Theresa Musoke

Untitled (Self Portrait), 1990

US$ 5,000 – 6,000

Bought in

Lot 23 — Samson ‘Xenson’ Ssenkaaba, Mama Dorotia

Lot 23

Samson ‘Xenson’ Ssenkaaba

Mama Dorotia, 2021

US$ 9,000 – 15,000

Bought in

Lot 24 — Jak Katarikawe, Queen Elephants, undated

Lot 24

Jak Katarikawe

Queen Elephants, undated

US$ 3,000 – 5,000

Sold US$ 4,226

Lot 25 — Edward Saidi Tingatinga, Untitled (Two Birds a Snake

Lot 25

Edward Saidi Tingatinga

Untitled (Two Birds a Snake

US$ 10,000 – 15,000

Sold US$ 14,088

Lot 26 — Edward Saidi Tingatinga, Untitled (Lion), circa 1968 – 1972

Lot 26

Edward Saidi Tingatinga

Untitled (Lion), circa 1968 – 1972

US$ 10,000 – 15,000

Sold US$ 14,088

Lot 27 — Charles Sekano, Lady washing Calabash

Lot 27

Charles Sekano

Lady washing Calabash, 1998

US$ 2,500 – 4,000

Sold US$ 2,348

Lot 28 — Rosemary Karuga, Untitled (Pounding

Lot 28

Rosemary Karuga

Untitled (Pounding

US$ 3,000 – 4,000

Bought in

Lot 29 — Rosemary Karuga, Mother

Lot 29

Rosemary Karuga

Mother

US$ 4,000 – 7,000

Sold US$ 9,509

Lot 30 — Lawrence “Shabu” Mwangi, Bedsitter I

Lot 30

Lawrence “Shabu” Mwangi

Bedsitter I, 2016

US$ 2,500 – 4,500

Sold US$ 4,461

Lot 31 — Joseph Ntensibe, Nature

Lot 31

Joseph Ntensibe

Nature, 2007

US$ 7,000 – 12,000

Sold US$ 7,044

Lot 32 — Issam Hafiez, War Wounds II

Lot 32

Issam Hafiez

War Wounds II, 2023

US$ 1,800 – 2,500

Sold US$ 1,878

Lot 33 — Mohamed Abdella Otaybi, Displacement

Lot 33

Mohamed Abdella Otaybi

Displacement, 2021

US$ 3,000 – 5,000 for the painting and drawing

Bought in

Lot 34 — Samuel Githui, Market Scene

Lot 34

Samuel Githui

Market Scene, 1996

US$ 2,000 – 3,000

Sold US$ 2,113

Lot 35 — Gakunju Kaigwa, Chai Motto

Lot 35

Gakunju Kaigwa

Chai Motto, 1990

US$ 3,000 – 4,000

Sold US$ 7,748

Lot 36 — Peter Elungat, From the Angelina series (Woman playing music)

Lot 36

Peter Elungat

From the Angelina series (Woman playing music), 2008

US$ 5,000 – 7,000

Sold US$ 5,166

Lot 37 — Francis Kahuri, She Loves the Both, circa early 1990s

Lot 37

Francis Kahuri

She Loves the Both, circa early 1990s

US$ 1,800 – 2,500

Bought in

Lot 38 — Fabian Mpagi, Man in a Hat

Lot 38

Fabian Mpagi

Man in a Hat, 1998

US$ 800 – 1,500

Sold US$ 939

Lot 39 — Fabian Mpagi, Untitled (The artist’s mother

Lot 39

Fabian Mpagi

Untitled (The artist’s mother

US$ 4,000 – 6,000

Sold US$ 5,048

Lot 40 — Livingstone G.K. Nkata, Namanwe Forest, undated

Lot 40

Livingstone G.K. Nkata

Namanwe Forest, undated

US$ 2,500 – 3,500

Sold US$ 4,109

Lot 41 — Maria Naita, The Contestants

Lot 41

Maria Naita

The Contestants, 2005

US$ 1,000 – 2,000

Sold US$ 822

Lot 42 — Fred Mutebi, Buganda Dreams

Lot 42

Fred Mutebi

Buganda Dreams, 1998

US$ 800 – 1,500

Bought in

Lot 43 — Fred Mutebi, A Dream at the Pealing Place, circa 1990

Lot 43

Fred Mutebi

A Dream at the Pealing Place, circa 1990

US$ 1,200 – 2,000

Sold US$ 2,818

Lot 44 — Allan Githuka, Election Time

Lot 44

Allan Githuka

Election Time, 2013

US$ 1,500 – 3,000

Sold US$ 1,996

Lot 45 — Peterson Kamwathi, Different 1

Lot 45

Peterson Kamwathi

Different 1

US$ 3,000 – 4,000

Sold US$ 3,522

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