Tag: nairobi national museum

travel

My Kenya Trip: Looking Back

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Hi friends! I’m so happy to FINALLY share my videos from my trip to Kenya in 2018. I can’t believe it’s been almost THREE years since my trip!

I wrote multiple posts about my Nairobi adventures on this blog. I was enthralled by the art, I loved the food, I was captivated by the national museum, and my safari experience was incredible. So you all are well aware that I loved my time there. But, I had video that I had not yet shared, until now.

I posted this on my YouTube channel and now I’m sharing it over here. I speak specifically about how I manifested this trip because yes, it was a manifestation. I used the power of intention and focus to bring my dream trip into fruition. I loved this manifestation, and I’m excited that I get to share those details with you all!

That’s it for today. I hope you all enjoy this post, and I’ll talk to you all tomorrow.

art · international

More Kenyan Artists to Check Out

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As an aspiring art professional, I always have an eye out for unique art wherever I go. I am a sucker for the classics, but I get a thrill out of finding contemporary artists that appeal to my personal tastes.

While in Kenya, I visited the Nairobi National Museum but I couldn’t take pictures in the photo gallery, as those pieces were for sale. However, I found myself “oohing” and “aahing” too much to just look at the paintings and walk away. So I jotted down the names of the artists and decided to look them up when I got home. I’m glad that I did, because now I can share these talented creators with you all!

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A photo from The Next Gen Exhibition featuring Kenyan artists (photo from Artleeyo)

As it turns out, the many of the pieces featured in the Nairobi National Museum were done by local graffiti artists. The main three artists featured in the gallery – Kaymist4, Thufu B, and Msale – have formed a street art group named the Bomb Squad Crew. Their art is featured on the website BSQArt.com.

Work by Kaymist4

I had problems viewing the pages of the website, but I’m not sure if that is because the website has portion under construction or because I’m located outside of Kenya. In any case, you may have more success in navigating the website. I’m still researching the best way to purchase some of their pieces.

Work by Msale

 

Two more artists that were featured were Ssali Yusuf  (who is actually Ugandan, not Kenyan) and Remy Musindi.  Both artists skillfully use color, though Musindi’s color choices tend to be more subdued, while Yusuf’s are more saturated and crisp.

Piece by Remy Musindi

The trend I noticed in the artwork that I saw was vivid rendering of the female form. A focus on portraying the beautiful faces of African women is a common theme in Kenyan art. As an art lover that prefers portraiture over landscape and abstract paintings, I can appreciate the theme.

If you are interested in buying art online, I highly recommend that you use a reputable third party to handle the transaction, even if the purchase is relatively inexpensive. Galleries like Artspace, Saatchi Art and UGallery specialize in connecting artists with collectors, and they can work out details like shipping and proper framing. You can find more more online galleries through this link.

international · travel

My Time at Nairobi National Museum

Mstldelano2 Comments

You all know how much I loved my time in Kenya. I wanted to make sure that I took in the local history, arts and culture while I was there because, why travel if you don’t wnat to learn about the place you’ve traveled to?

While in Nairobi, I visited the Nairobi National Museum. This museum DID NOT disappoint! I took photos in every area except the art gallery, in which photography was prohibited. Which is a real shame, since the artwork was wonderful. However, I understand the need to protect the artists from having their work ripped off and duplicated without credit.

Without further ado, here are some of my photos from the Nairobi National Museum:

Photos from the exterior of the museum

The mammal exhibit

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Decor inside of the museum

The bird exhibit

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Drawings from Joy Adamson,

Artifacts from the exhibit describing social customs in Kenya

Artifacts from the political history of Kenya

 

I wish I could have visited this museum again, because one visit simply wasn’t enough. This area is so rich in history, beautiful and culture: Kenya is an incredible experience. I highly recommend anyone visiting the area to go to the Nairobi National Museum. The price of admission is roughly $12USD for nonresident adults and $6USD for nonresident children. It was worth every penny!