KOFISI Art Gallery opened its doors to the public for the first time last week, debuting with an eclectic exhibition titled Force Fields. The gallery is an extension of KOFISI Africa’s vision to integrate art into its co-working spaces across the continent, starting with its Nairobi hub.
While KOFISI has previously displayed art across its centres, this marks a formal shift towards curating exhibitions within its workspaces. Co-curated by Wangui Wachira and Carol Lees, Force Fields features a selection of seasoned artists from the One Off Contemporary Art Gallery.
The inaugural exhibition is housed on the seventh floor of the Matrix One building in Westlands, at the newly launched KOFISI Kaskazi centre.
Upon entry, visitors are welcomed by two striking mixed-media works by Beatrice Wanjiku titled Parlour Soldier and Parlour Soldier 3, depicting male figures draped in red. The gallery opens into an airy, expansive space dotted with paintings and a few sculptural pieces.
The showcase includes works by artists such as James Mbuthia, Baraka Shamia, Anthony Okello, Thom Ogonga, Elias Mung’ora, Richard Kimathi, Peterson Kamwathi, Peter Ngugi, Talitha Negri, Florence Wangui, Patrick Karanja, Olivia Pendergast, Ehoodi Kichapi, Lisa Milroy, Richard Amin, and Richard Diab.
“The gallery is a new product for KOFISI Africa but not new in terms of working with art. Art is a big part of the work experience for its members, but we are now formalising and engaging a wider audience as well as including more artists,” says Wachira.
In its commitment to supporting artists at all stages of their careers, KOFISI has also partnered with Uweza Art Gallery in Kibera. Through this partnership, the company has purchased more than 200 artworks and offered exhibition spaces and events at its centres, with all proceeds going directly to the artists.
“So now we are able to expand the art networks of the company. Uweza is giving a platform to artists at the start of their careers, while we work with established artists so that our members get to experience both,” adds Wachira.
Although the gallery currently resides at the KOFISI Kaskazi location, it will function as a rotating space, with exhibitions moving between KOFISI centres across the continent.
A statement from the company notes that through rotating showcases and strategic partnerships, the gallery aims to enhance the visibility of contemporary African creatives and encourage enterprises to engage with the continent’s cultural capital.
“The whole objective is to be able to have exhibitions rotate from centre to centre, and hopefully the artworks will be able to travel to other KOFISI centres in Africa,” says Wachira.
KOFISI currently operates in Kenya, Morocco, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, and Mauritius.
The gallery is open to the public on weekdays while the space is not yet in active use. Once it begins hosting members, visitors will be required to book appointments.
The Force Fields exhibition remains on view until July 17.