Villa Rosa Kempinski offers Kenyan artists a strategic marketing platform

Villa Rosa Kempinski in partnership with Kuona Trust is hosting an annual event dubbed WASANII JUKWAANI (a Swahili name meaning Artists on Stage). The five-day art project draws young up and coming artist to showcase their skill, and network with lovers of art.

The artists will spend five days between 25^th April and Friday 30^th  at the hotel, creating an artwork in an environment where they interact with guests throughout.



Wasanii Jukwaani is an annual event that creates a platform for young artists to showcase their skills. The artists will spend the week at the Villa Rosa Kempinski, working on the special piece of art. They are positioned at the guests’ areas, where they are interacting with the hotel guests, as well as lovers of art, and taking them through the process of how they come up with their unique pieces. Each year, Wasanii Jukwaani will have a theme towards which a potion of the proceeds will be directed to.

Fifteen Kenyan artists, selected based on their artistic prowess, including Collins Okelo, famously renowned for   sketching Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Barack Obama’s portrait, will be working on a special art on various medium to create new and original artworks in the hotel. There will be an auction of these pieces on Saturday 30^th April from 1800hrs at an exclusive event hosted by Villa Rosa Kempinski.

This year’s theme is ‘Conservation of Elephants”. The artists have, however, been given a leeway to create their own-inspired art to allow them to showcase their best. 20% of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to Wild Aid for Elephant Conservation

Art and creative lifestyle is a way of expression and is deeply entrenched in Africa. Kempinski Hotels strongly embraces art and in each property and ensures there is an Arts Exhibition at least once a year. Villa Rosa Kempinski hosts an international Arts Exhibition, Circle Art.




The aim of this exhibition is to showcase Kenyan talent and to expose these artists to an ideal market. Wasanii Jukwaani intends to have a theme every year, to support a purpose, but the artists will not be required to produce pieces in line with the theme, so that they can be free to showcase their best.