I Hope So: Sane Wadu follows the expansion and development of Wadu’s conceptual preoccupations, beginning with an early interest in bucolic scenes of pastoral life which has evolved into incisive social commentary, a complex exploration of the intersection of faith and politics, and an ongoing critique of societal contradictions. An illuminating essay by Mukami Kuria and an interview with Rosie Olang’ Odhiambo offer readers multiple entry points into Wadu’s penetrating vision. This catalogue is published on the occasion of Sane Wadu’s first retrospective exhibition at the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute in 2022.

Mwili, Akili Na Roho: Ten Figurative Painters from East Africa features the work of ten artists from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, including Sam Ntiro, Elimo Njau, Asaph Ng’ethe Macua, Jak Katarikawe, Theresa Musoke, Sane Wadu, Peter Mulindwa, Chelenge van Rampelberg, John Njenga, and Meek Gichugu. The personal histories, thematic concerns, and formal strategies of this multigenerational group of artists present an opportunity to engage more deeply in the genealogies of artistic creation in the region, while considering the enduring influence of certain ideas and institutions in the creation, dissemination, and reception of art in and from East Africa. This catalogue is published to coincide with an expanded version of Mwili, Akili Na Roho at the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute in 2022, following earlier iterations at Haus Der Kunst in Munich (2020) and the Royal Academy of Arts in London (2021).