# Art Auction East Africa

> Factual guide to the annual Modern and Contemporary Art Auction East Africa, its 2026 sale and its public auction archive.

Art Auction East Africa was founded by Circle Art in Nairobi in 2013. It presents modern and contemporary art from East Africa and the wider region, with public lot pages containing artwork images, artist biographies, provenance, estimates and historical results where available.

## Auction 2026

- [Browse Auction 2026](/auction-2026): The 14th annual sale takes place at Circle Art Gallery, Victoria Square, Riara Road, Nairobi, on Wednesday 28 October 2026 at 7pm EAT.
- The sale is presented by Circle Art Agency in association with Strauss & Co.
- The 2026 sale contains 68 lots, evenly split between modern and contemporary works, by artists from nine countries.
- Registration and bidding information, Conditions of Sale and the Seller's Receipt & Contract are available from the auction page.
- Each 2026 lot page contains the available artwork images, artist details, medium, dimensions, KES estimate and USD estimate.

## Auction 2026 artists

- Kenyan highlights include Samuel Wanjau and Meek Gichugu.
- Ugandan highlights include Fabian Mpagi, Francis Nnaggenda and Kefa Frederick Sempangi.
- Sudanese highlights include Ahmed Shibrain, Salah Elmur and Rashid Diab.
- Tanzanian highlights include Kiure Francis Msangi and Edward Saidi Tingatinga.
- The sale also includes Nigerian modernist Bruce Onobrakpeya and Congolese artist Chéri Chérin.

## Auction history

- [About the auction](/about): History, market phases, regional participation and artists leading the market.
- Across thirteen editions from 2013 to 2025, the auction offered more than 700 lots by artists from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and beyond.
- Annual sales totals rose from KES 18.5 million in 2013 to a peak of KES 30 million, with sell-through rates between 75% and 95%.
- Public archive pages cover 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, two sales in 2020, and annual sales from 2021 through 2025.

## Artists leading the historical market

- Edward Saidi Tingatinga: his 1971 elephant painting achieved KES 5,635,200 in 2019.
- Geoffrey Mukasa: one of the most frequently offered artists in the auction's history and a consistent leading performer.
- Kiure Francis Msangi: debuted in 2025; *Baobab under the Red Moon* achieved KES 3,522,000.
- Peterson Kamwathi: auction prices rose from KES 375,680 in 2013 to KES 1,056,600 in 2025.
- Eli Kyeyune: *The Reader* achieved KES 1,526,200 in 2024.

## Public pages

- [Home](/): Current auction announcement and 2026 highlights.
- [Auction 2026](/auction-2026): All 68 upcoming lots and registration information.
- [About](/about): Auction history and market context.
- [Press](/press): Selected coverage of the auction and East African art market.
- [Contact](/contact): Enquiries and Circle Art Gallery contact information.

## Optional

- Individual historical lot pages are linked from each auction archive.
- The wishlist is stored privately in each visitor's browser and is not intended as a search landing page.