Nairobi Gallery, Nairobi

The Nairobi Gallery, situated in the capital of Kenya, is an art gallery dedicated to showcasing African art. The building, designed by C. Rand Ovary, was completed in 1913 and originally served as a government office for the Ministry of Native Affairs during the colonial era. Its primary function was to record marriages, births, and deaths. From 1963 to 1984, it served as the Provisional Commissioner's office, and later, from 1997, it functioned as Kanu's branch office in Nairobi.

In 1995, the building became a national monument, and by 1997, it was under the National Museums of Kenya. Renovation began in 1999 and finished in 2005 when the gallery opened to the public. In 2019, the museum partnered with Google to digitize exhibits, allowing access on Google Arts & Culture and creating a Google Street View of the interior.

The gallery showcases pan-African stamps, Joseph Murumbi's photos, and a diverse range of African artifacts, from furniture like the Lamu sofa and Zanzibar cupboard to African jewelry, stools, weapons, and containers from various Kenyan communities.

Nubian baskets, wood carvings, sculptures, and paintings by artists from different parts of Africa are also on display. Notable artists include Bruce Onokbrakpeya, Joseph Olabode, and Asiru Olatunde Osogbo from Nigeria. The gallery features traditional clothing such as Egunguns and traditional textiles, including a collection of kangas.

Over the years, the gallery has hosted several exhibitions, including a 2015 showcase of Kenyan artist Peterson Kamwathi's work, a 2018 exhibition featuring nine East African women artists, and a 2019 exhibition of Tinga Tinga paintings from Tanzania along with works by Tanzanian artists Robina Ntila and Muzu Suleiman.