Nadia Wamunyu

Kenya

Charcoal Drawing and Oil Painting by Nadia Wamunyu

Contemporary Kenyan Art and Cultural Memory

Fine Art Collectors and African Women Artists

"I particularly like the blue because it's the color of water, mostly associated with healing."

MEET

Nadia Wamunyu

Nadia Wamunyu (b. 1993) is a contemporary Kenyan visual artist and gallerist based in Nairobi, whose practice explores resilience, identity, and cultural memory through charcoal drawings and oil paintings. Her work is defined by an emotional depth and expressive fluidity, informed by personal experiences and a keen eye for detail.

Introduced to art as a child, Nadia received her first brushes and watercolours at age three. At five, she suffered partial hearing loss due to a medical error—an event that became a formative chapter in her journey. Encouraged by her father, Nadia channelled this challenge into creativity, finding healing and empowerment through visual expression.

Nadia’s formal artistic training began at the GoDown Art Centre, where she studied under celebrated Kenyan artist Patrick Mukabi. She quickly developed a distinctive visual voice, capturing everything from faces and street scenes to the textured beauty of Lamu town, a place she has long cherished.

Her work has been widely exhibited in Kenya and internationally, including at the Nairobi Museum, Circle Art Gallery, Polka Dot Art Gallery, Alliance Française, Kuona Artists Collective, GoDown Art Centre, and the US Embassy in Nairobi. Abroad, her work has featured at Absa Gallery in South Africa and Kerry Packer Civic Gallery in South Australia, among others.

Nadia has received multiple accolades, including First Prize (Student Category) at the Manjano Art Competition in 2013, and Third Prize (Artist Category) in 2020. She has also participated in key cultural events such as the Lamu Painters Festival (2015, 2017), further deepening her connection with Kenyan coastal heritage.

Currently, Nadia is a resident artist at the Kobo Trust Artists Studio (Seven Artists) on Riara Road, and she also works at their new gallery in South C, Nairobi. As a gallerist and practicing artist, she remains committed to nurturing Kenya’s art scene while continuing to evolve her own creative practice.

Through sensitive observation and technical precision, Nadia Wamunyu’s art invites viewers to pause, feel, and reflect—turning everyday moments into timeless stories of strength, belonging, and beauty.

FROM OUR BLOGUE
Rethinking a Colonial Legacy: Dr El Hadji Malick Ndiaye’s Mission to Decolonise Dakar’s Museum

At the heart of Dakar, a quiet but radical transformation is underway. Dr El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, curator of the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art, is leading a profound effort to decolonise an institution built for colonisers. Through critical reinterpretation, artistic collaboration, and cultural activism, he is reframing the museum not as a place of frozen pasts, but as a living, breathing space of African knowledge, pride, and imagination.

Continue Reading
Forbes África Lusófona Highlights Afrikanizm’s Model for Building the African Art Economy

In an op-ed for Forbes África Lusófona, João Boavida, founder of Afrikanizm Art, lays out a bold new vision for African art. He argues that the future lies not in charity, but in structure, visibility, and fair opportunity. Through a model grounded in equity, mentorship, and sustainable growth, Afrikanizm Art is helping transform African artists from overlooked talents into central players in the global market.

Continue Reading
Getty Foundation Invests $2.6M in Unearthing Black Art History

The Getty Foundation has awarded $2.6 million to expand its Black Visual Arts Archives initiative, empowering 12 U.S. institutions—libraries, museums, and universities—to catalogue, digitise, and bring Black art histories into public view. This multi-year commitment spotlights previously overlooked collections, transforming archives into dynamic cultural touchpoints and promoting long-overdue visibility for Black artists and institutions.

Continue Reading
“Dear Black People… A Love Letter”: Diasporic Time-travel in Atlanta

Now open at ZuCot Gallery, Dear Black People… A Love Letter is a bold and poetic journey through the Black American experience. With over 95% of works by artists of African descent, the show reframes visual storytelling as time travel — blending memory, identity and joy.
From glowing watermelons to shimmering histories, this exhibition pulses with creativity, community and cultural pride.

Continue Reading

Commision An Artwork
By This Artist

We can arrange and oversee the creation of a new work made specifically for you