The first retrospective monograph on one of Kenya’s foremost living artists

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.

About NCAI

Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI) is a nonprofit visual-arts space dedicated to the growth and preservation of contemporary art in East Africa. Established in 2020, NCAI builds on a rich legacy of art projects and institutions in the region, and seeks to tell the stories of the artists and projects that have come to shape the region’s contemporary art scene. Through exhibitions, the development of an East African art archive, an extensive public program of talks, and a multidisciplinary educational program, NCAI serves as an inspiring cultural space and a resource for the thriving East African arts community.