We are Elizabeth Wambui Mbuthuri and Ivonne Cherop Seroney from Nairobi, together with Volker Knauss from Düsseldorf. What unites us is a shared passion for contemporary African art and a vision to change the way Africa is seen through its artistic voices.

Too often, African art has been reduced to clichés—paintings of elephants, giraffes, and zebras—shaped more by European imagination than by African reality. At African Arts Gallery, we want to break these stereotypes and present what modern Africa truly means: its way of life, its evolving self-understanding, and the creativity with which artists address today’s challenges and solutions.

Our mission also includes confronting the persistence of colonial thinking. A striking example is the way the Benin Bronzes are still too often described as “discoveries” of the British, rather than being recognized as masterpieces created by African artists. By presenting contemporary voices from across the continent, we aim to reclaim the narrative and celebrate Africa’s rightful place in the global art scene.