I’ve spent 4+ months traveling through Africa, and along the way I finally started collecting art, ideally directly from the artist or designer. For me, these are the most meaningful souvenirs. That, and the conversations that come with them.
This is a running list of artists I’ve met, learned about, and supported in person along the way. An informal archive of artists I’ve encountered.
Jump to a City
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Cape Town & Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Kampala, Uganda
- Kigali, Rwanda
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Why I’m Doing This
Johannesburg, South Africa
Cerbastian Davids
I met Cerbastian just walking down the street in Johannesburg. We ended up talking for a while, with me asking a series of questions: What’s it like living here? What inspires you?
Cerbastian primarily sells his art through Instagram. His pieces are bold, eye-catching, and full of personality. Meeting him is a reminder of how much talent exists outside formal gallery spaces.
Ernest Danjuma Enebi
While in Johannesburg, I attended a book tour event for Ernest Danjuma Enebi and his book Waka Waka.
Ernest is Nigerian but based in Brooklyn, and his work documents over 20 years of life across Africa. What stood out to me most was an entire section dedicated to “rest.” That framing felt intentional, almost political. Rest as resistance. Rest as humanity.
His book: Waka Waka: Observations on Contemporary African Life, Culture & Landscape. You can purchase it here. “Waka Waka” is a phrase from West African Pidgin English, and it roughly translates to “do it,” “keep going,” or “walk and walk.” Essentially, it’s about movement, action, and perseverance.
Cape Town & Stellenbosch, South Africa
Tusevo Landu
I saw Landu’s work at Ava Gallery in Cape Town and was drawn to A Stillness, Seasoned with Hope. Tusevo Landu (b. 1997, Kinshasa, DRC) is a self-taught painter whose powerful work confronts injustice through the lens of Afrofuturism. SWOON.
More places to support local creatives in the city: my guide to Black-owned businesses in Cape Town.
Talia Ramkilawan
I discovered Talia’s work on display in a hotel in Stellenbosch.
Talia Ramkilawan works in mixed media, using rug-hooking and textiles to explore South Asian identity, family dynamics, and inherited trauma, approaching heavy topics with softness rather than spectacle.
Learn more about her work in VISI’s feature on South African portraiture.
Kampala, Uganda
I was unfortunately only in Kampala for one day, but I made time to visit the Kasubi Tombs and purchased a piece of art directly from an artist there, Joelle.
The piece was painted on bark cloth, a traditional Ugandan medium made from the inner bark of the mutuba tree. It’s prized for its texture, durability, and connection to cultural heritage.
Kigali, Rwanda
Gihanga Institute of Contemporary Art (GICA)
While in Kigali, I visited the Gihanga Institute of Contemporary Art (GICA). I just have to mention it because it’s so gorgeous, and it’s practically brand new.
GICA is a contemporary art space focused on emerging Rwandan artists through exhibitions, residencies, and community programming. Spaces like this are essential. They create infrastructure where artists can experiment and grow, and they’re shaping the next generation of African visual storytelling.
David Mugire
While visiting Indabo Café (one of the spots in my Kigali café guide), I was interested in a painting we were sitting directly under and learned the artist’s studio was just upstairs: David Mugire (Studio Mugire). His work explores identity and modern African narratives through contemporary techniques.
Nairobi, Kenya
In Nairobi, I visited the Kuona Artists Collective, one of East Africa’s leading contemporary art spaces. I met several artists there, including Michael Soi, Nadia Wamunyu, and Andrew Kibet, and I cover them in my Kuona post. Their ecosystem stood out: the collaboration, shared studios, and experimentation.
I also attended Nairobi Fashion Week and featured those designers in a separate blog post.
And I bought some very unique denim pants straight from the designer Marjorie Mapambo while out and about in Nairobi’s Lavington neighborhood. Other good places to find local makers: the Nairobi Night Market and Maisha by Nisria.
Why I’m Doing This
Travel can be quite extractive. I consume culture. I photograph it. I aestheticize it. I want to also redistribute attention.
If I meet you and you’re building something, I’ll document it.
If I love your work, I’ll buy it.
If I have a platform, I’ll share it.
More From My Time in Africa
- Visiting Kuona Artist Collective in Nairobi
- 12 Designers to Know from Nairobi Fashion Week
- Black-Owned Businesses in Cape Town
- Johannesburg Travel Guide
- Kigali, Rwanda: Everything You Need to Know
- All Africa travel guides
I add artists to this list as I meet them X