The Art Auction East Africa, held on October 28, 2026, at the Circle Art Gallery in Nairobi, Kenya, saw a vibrant and spirited bidding session, with a total of KES 46.4 million (US$356,219) earned from the sale of 90% of the lots. The auction, organized by Strauss & Co, featured 68 lots of modern and contemporary art from East Africa and the wider continent. The event was conducted in two sessions, with Dr. Alastair Meredith, Director and Global Head of Art at Strauss & Co, handling the first 31 lots, and Susie Goodman, Executive Director of Strauss & Co, taking over the remaining 37 lots.
The top lot of the auction was a posthumous work by Tanzanian artist Edward Saidi Tingatinga, titled "Untitled (Landscape with Lion and Bird)". The oil on canvas painting sold for KES 7,631,000 (US$58,708), more than four times its high estimate, establishing a new world record for the artist. Tingatinga's vibrant style birthed the Tingatinga School of painters, and his works continue to be highly sought after by collectors and art enthusiasts.
Another Tanzanian artist, Simon George Mpata, also achieved a strong result, with his painting "Giraffes and Oxpeckers" selling for KES 821,800 (US$6,322), doubling the high estimate. Sudanese artist Salah Elmur also performed well, with his 2019 painting "Untitled (Seated Figure)" selling to a telephone bidder for KES 3,522,000 (US$27,096) after 24 bids. Elmur's second work, "Untitled (Composition with Figures in Blue and Brown)", achieved KES 763,100 (US$5,871), well above its estimate.
Kenyan artist Peterson Kamwathi's monotype diptych "The Two Horse Race" (2004) drew intense competition from room, telephone, and online bidders, eventually selling to a telephone bidder after 31 bids for KES 2,113,200 (US$16,258). Mozambican photographer Mario Macilau's untitled 2013 portrait from his "Price of Cement" series sold to an online bidder for KES 1,174,000 (US$9,032) after 18 bids.
The auction also saw strong results for Kenyan sculpture, with Samuel Wanjau's untitled carved wood sculpture depicting a bird with chicks selling for KES 1,761,000 (US$13,548), exceeding its high estimate. His son, Anthony Wanjau, also achieved a strong result, with his figurative carving "Dreaming" selling for KES 1,761,000 (US$13,548). Ugandan artist Jak Katarikawe's works also yielded solid results, with an untitled oil on paper depicting a herd of elephants selling for KES 880,500 (US$6,774), more than double the high estimate.
The sale concluded with strong interest in three works by Ugandan artist Geoffrey Mukasa, who was born into a prominent political family and studied art in India. A 1990 mixed-media work incorporating collage and depicting a reclining figure sold for KES 763,100 (US$5,871). An untitled 1978 oil on canvas portraying a seated figure in blue achieved KES 704,400 (US$5,419), while a 1992 pen drawing of four figures sold for KES 645,700 (US$4,968).
The Art Auction East Africa has helped bring greater visibility to the region's modern and contemporary art histories since its inception in 2013. The collaboration with Strauss & Co, first presented in 2025, continues to offer collectors access to artists from East Africa and beyond, spanning different generations, media, and artistic traditions. As Danda Jaroljmek, Director of Circle Art Agency and founder of Art Auction East Africa, noted, "Tonight is proof when things are hard in the world, we need art."
Key points
- - Tanzanian artist Edward Saidi Tingatinga's posthumous work sold for a record KES 7,631,000 (US$58,708) at the Art Auction East Africa in Nairobi. - The Art Auction East Africa earned a total of KES 46.4 million (US$356,219) from the sale of 90% of the lots. - The auction featured 68 lots of modern and contemporary art from East Africa and the wider continent.
