China-Kenya art exhibition opens at Nairobi National Museum - IOL
Visitors view paintings at the China-Africa Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning Fine Arts Exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum. The exhibition is open till September 30. 2026.
More than 60 Chinese and Kenyan paintings exploring rural life, identity, and traditional celebrations are on display at the Nairobi National Museum until September 30, 2026.
The China-Africa Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning Fine Arts Exhibition opened on September 22 as part of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
The exhibition features works by “50 Chinese and Kenyan artists,” Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said on X.
The exhibition is also co-hosted by China Media Group’s Africa bureau and the China Artists Association.
Artworks on display at the China-Africa Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning Fine Arts Exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum. The exhibition features more than 60 paintings exploring rural life and traditional celebrations.
Nearly 100 guests attended the opening ceremony, which included Chinese paper-cutting demonstrations and cultural performances.
“The exchange year will bring our peoples even closer together through extensive exchanges in culture, arts, tourism, media and many other fields,” Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said.
Song Jianing, head of CMG’s Africa bureau, said the occasion celebrated a friendship grounded in “mutual respect and a shared vision for a better future.”
The paintings explored identity, memory, and belonging, Song said.
Zhu Hongzi, deputy secretary-general of the China Artists Association, said that art in both countries is deeply rooted in local life and reflects shared hopes for good harvests and a better future. He called for more exhibitions and exchanges between Chinese and Kenyan artists.
Guests cut a ribbon to mark the opening of the China-Africa Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning Fine Arts Exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum on 22 September 2026.
Kenyan representatives highlighted the potential for cultural partnerships to support young people and creative businesses.
Timothy Nyakwamba Kajwang, deputy director for youth development in Kenya’s Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, welcomed closer work with China in digital art, fashion and creative technology.
He expressed hope that the exhibition would lead to more joint creative projects and commercial partnerships in the future.
Judith Wanjiku Ogana, Unesco’s national programme officer for culture at its Regional Office for Eastern Africa, said the exhibition could support artists and creative businesses while strengthening cultural understanding.
She also linked artistic exchanges to cultural, social, and economic developments.
The 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges was agreed at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Its extensive programme includes cultural, tourism, film, media and youth activities.
The initiative was formally launched at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa on January 8, 2026.
African Union Commission chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the launch.
After the opening ceremony, Chinese and Kenyan artists discussed artistic practice, cultural heritage, and innovation at a roundtable, while guests toured the exhibition and spoke with contributors about their work.
Panelists discuss artistic practice, cultural heritage and innovation during the exhibition’s opening program at the Nairobi National Museum on 22 September 2026.
While 2026 marks 70 years of formal diplomatic ties between China and Africa, the Nairobi exhibition serves as a reminder that the future of the relationship will be shaped by the creativity, shared heritage, and mutual understanding of a new generation.
