- The second edition of Art Auction East Africa | Strauss & Co brought together collectors in Nairobi and online for a spirited 68-lot sale spanning modern and contemporary art from East Africa and the wider continent.
- Edward Saidi Tingatinga’s Untitled (Landscape with Lion and Bird) fetched KES 7 631 000 (US$58 708), a world record for the artist at auction.
- There was also intensive bidding for works by Salah Elmur, Peterson Kamwathi, Geoffrey Mukasa and Samuel Wanjau.
- The sale earned a total of KES 46 308 430 (US$356 219) from 90% lots sold.
NAIROBI – Spirited bidding and an animated salesroom audience marked the second edition of Art Auction East Africa | Strauss & Co, a 68-lot live-virtual auction held at Circle Art Gallery in Nairobi on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. Bringing together modern and contemporary art from East Africa and the wider continent, the sale saw strong results for artists from Tanzania, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique and earned a total of KES 46 308 430 (US$356 219) from 90% lots sold.
The auction unfolded in two sessions. Dr Alastair Meredith, Director and Global Head of Art at Strauss & Co, handled the first 31 lots, followed by Susie Goodman, Executive Director of Strauss & Co, who took the rostrum for the remaining 37. The live-virtual format drew an engaged audience to the salesroom, where successful bids were greeted with applause and cheers.
The leading result was achieved by Tanzanian artist Edward Saidi Tingatinga, whose vibrant style birthed the Tingatinga School of painters. His Untitled (Landscape with Lion and Bird) sold for KES 7 631 000 (US$58 708), more than four times its high estimate, establishing a new world record. Another Tanzanian artist, Simon George Mpata, also attracted strong bidding, with Giraffes and Oxpeckers selling for KES 821 800 (US$6 322), doubling the high estimate.
“The response in the room and from online bidders demonstrated the depth of interest in the artists represented in this year’s catalogue,” says Susie Goodman, Executive Director of Strauss & Co. “From the intense competition for Peterson Kamwathi’s The Two Horse Race to the strong results for Edward Saidi Tingatinga and Salah Elmur, the sale brought together a wide range of artistic practices and collecting interests. It was particularly rewarding to see works from across the region attract such engaged bidding.”
Sudanese artist Salah Elmur was another strong performer. His 2019 painting Untitled (Seated Figure) attracted sustained competition from telephone and room bidders before selling to a telephone bidder for KES 3 522 000 (US$27 096) after 24 bids. A second work by Elmur, Untitled (Composition with Figures in Blue and Brown), achieved KES 763 100 (US$5 871), well above its estimate.
Competition was equally pronounced for Kenyan artist Peterson Kamwathi’s monotype diptych The Two Horse Race (2004), which drew room, telephone and online bidders into an extended contest. The work sold 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. Among the notable results for Kenyan sculpture, Samuel Wanjau’s untitled carved wood sculpture depicting a bird with chicks sold for KES 1 761 000 (US$13 548), exceeding its high estimate. Dreaming, a figurative carving by Samuel Wanjau’s son, Anthony Wanjau, also attracted strong bids, achieving KES 1 761 000 (US$13 548).
Works by revered Ugandan artist Jak Katarikawe yielded solid results. An untitled oil on paper depicting a herd of elephants sold for KES 880 500 (US$6 774), more than double the high estimate, while an untitled woodcut from 1984 achieved KES 727 880 (US$5 600), also beating its 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).
Reflecting on the evening, Danda Jaroljmek, Director of Circle Art Agency and founder of Art Auction East Africa, said from the rostrum after the final lot was sold: “Tonight is proof when things are hard in the world, we need art.” Her statement was greeted with spirited applause.
Founded by Jaroljmek in 2013, Art Auction East Africa has helped bring greater visibility to the region’s modern and contemporary art histories. 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.
Visit www.straussart.co.za | www.circleartagency.com to discover more.
Read Strauss & Co’s latest Guide to African Art here.
