Tanzanian painters shine posthumously, as the second East Africa and Indian Ocean Arts Auction comes up in 2026

The second edition of the East African and Indian Ocean Arts Auction is slated for October 2026, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya.

Tanzanian artists, Sam Ntiro and the late Kiure Francis Msangi, topped the bills during the inaugural (previous) edition.

Strauss & Co and Circle Art Agency announced a call for consignments for the second edition of Art Auction East Africa | Strauss & Co, the dedicated sale of rare and important art from East Africa, the Indian Ocean region and beyond.

The inaugural 2025 edition included work by artists from Egypt, Sudan and Zimbabwe, alongside East African modernists and contemporary artists.

Following its success, this year’s sale will again broaden its offering of secondary market works to include pieces from further afield on the African continent.

The auction takes place in Nairobi on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.

A preview exhibition will be presented at Circle Art Gallery in the two weeks preceding the sale.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, 31 August 2026, and works may be physically consigned in Nairobi, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Founded in 2013 by Danda Jaroljmek, Art Auction East Africa has played a pivotal role in reviving interest in African artists working during the era of decolonization and independence, while helping to establish a sustainable secondary market for East African art.

Over the past decade, the auction has become a key fixture in the regional cultural calendar and an important platform for collectors and market development.

Art Auction East Africa | Strauss & Co is a collaboration between Circle Art Agency, based in Nairobi, and Strauss & Co, Africa’s leading auction house with offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The inaugural 2025 edition achieved notable results for rare-to-market works by East African modernists, including benchmark prices for paintings by Tanzanian artists Sam Ntiro and Kiure F. Msangi.

Msangi’s Baobab Under the Red Moon (1968), a striking post-impressionist landscape, emerged as the top lot of the sale, realizing US$27,271, more than double its pre-sale estimate.

“We will continue to prioritize rare secondary market works from the 1960s through to the early 2000s from East Africa and the wider Indian Ocean region, complemented by a carefully curated selection of contemporary works,” says Danda Jaroljmek, Director, Circle Art Agency.

“The 2026 edition will include a special focus on Kiure Francis Msangi, drawing on works from the artist’s estate to offer collectors a rare overview of his career and artistic development.”

Kiure Francis Msangi, the Tanzanian art professor who died in 2003, led the pack as his artworks from 1961, 1969 and 1974 landed eager buyers during the maiden 2025 auction.

Danda Jaroljmek adds: “The response to the 2025 sale confirmed both the depth of collecting interest in the region and the importance of collaboration in creating a robust platform that can reconnect significant works with collectors and institutions.

My ambition has always been to strengthen the market for East African art, while also enriching understandings of the histories, artists and movements that have shaped the region’s visual culture.”

The success of the strategic alliance between Circle Art Agency and Strauss and Company highlights the possibilities of intra-African engagement, adds Susie Goodman, Director of Strauss & Co.

“The second edition of Art Auction East Africa | Strauss & Co underscores our commitment to being an auction house from the African continent presenting exceptional works to collectors both within Africa and internationally,” elaborates Susie Goodman.

“There is growing international recognition of modernist artists from East Africa, and we are seeing increasing engagement from collectors, curators and institutions. By building sustainable market infrastructure and visibility for these artists, the auction contributes to a broader reassessment of African art histories on a global stage.”

Goodman notes that the inaugural 2025 edition marked an important milestone in Strauss & Co’s continued expansion across the continent. The sale attracted strong participation from collectors across East and Southern Africa, while also generating international interest in artists whose work has historically been underrepresented in the market.

The auction revealed notable cross-regional collecting patterns, including interest among Kenyan collectors in Southern African art and strong demand for works by Sudanese artists such as Ahmed Abushariaa.

The success of the auction has also reinforced Strauss & Co’s broader commitment to fostering dialogue around African art.

This was evident during the fifth African Art in Venice Forum, jointly organized by African Art Dialogues and Strauss & Co during the professional opening week of the 2026 Venice Biennale, where conversations around collecting, scholarship and market development reflected growing momentum for African modernisms within international cultural discourse.