Unbowed by inferno

The art loving Elimo and Philsa Njau.

Characteristic of its name, Paa ya Paa gallery burned down only to rise from the ashes, writes WANGECI KANYEKI

Paa ya Paa art gallery is easily considered to be Kenya’s oldest, indigenous, African owned art gallery, it is also the biggest gallery in East Africa. Established in 1965, its name in Kiswahili means, “the antelope rises high in the air”. 

At that time, the most common form of art was curio wood carvings of the antelope to attract tourists in East Africa. According to founder member James Kangwana, a poet and former director of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, the time had come for artists to rise to higher realms of aesthetics. 

The art gallery was established to preserve art and culture in East Africa and promote the work of artists, musicians, poets and writers through exhibits and sales.

 Prior to Paa ya Paa’s existence, a handful of art galleries in the region had opened and closed in the span of four decades.  Miller’s book Art in East Africa chronicles their progression, in Kenya.

The Sorsbie Gallery based at Muthaiga in Nairobi was started in 1960 and financed by Sir Malin and Lady Sorsbie to foster art and sciences in East Africa.  Alex Mitchell was resident director and Tanzanian artist Elimo Njau became assistant director in 1963.  Later that year, Sorsbie gallery closed and the New Stanley Gallery was left running until 1970. 

Chemchemi Cultural Centre was the next big excitement and was run by Africans.  Its chief organizer and director was South African writer Ezekiel Mphahlele. Elimo Njau was head of the visual arts programme.  Culture devotees such as Hilary Ng’weno, Jonathan Kariara, Eli Kyeyune and Hezbon Owiti generated programme ideas.  Chemichemi lasted for three years and was followed by Gallery Africa and Gallery Watatu, which also closed. When Chemichemi shut down Terry Hirst, cartoonist and illustrator of former Joe magazine, James Kangwana, the late poet Jonathan Kariara, Primila and Charles Lewis, Rebeka and Elimo Njau, Charles Lewis, John Fox and human rights lawyer and political activist Pheroze Nowrojee regrouped to start another art gallery, Paa ya Paa.

 Hilary Ng’weno, a political journalist and editor-in-chief of The Weekly Review at the time, chaired it.

Elimo and his wife made the largest financial contribution and he consequently became the managing director.  Based at the former Sadler House at Koinange Street Nairobi, Paa ya Paa would later become a sophisticated gathering place with a small snack bar for gallery supporters and art lovers.   Eventually the support dwindled and in 1975, the Njaus proceeded to move the gallery to its present location at Ridgeways, Nairobi. In it’s hey days, Paa ya Paa played a pivotal role in the development of local art scene and was a haven for Philip Ochieng, James Ngugi now Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Taban lo Liyong amongst others.

The inferno

In the evening of November 8, 1997, a fire believed to have been started when a power line fell on the house engulfed the Njaus century old farm house and adjacent gallery and left them with few personal effects.  In one mighty blow, 32 years of Kenya’s history in form of sculptures, artefacts, paintings and over 7,000 literature books worth millions of shillings were destroyed by the inferno.

Elimo sustained chest injuries while trying to salvage some of the precious art.

 Neither the building nor the contents were insured and the Njaus have since dusted themselves up and risen up from the ashes.  Though the house burned down, their passion for art continues. The charred remains and structure are slowly been constructed with the help of artists and well wishers.  The gallery paintings now hang in the burned ruins of the 100-year-old colonial house, which gives it an even more artistic finish.

Murang’a Murals

After a 50-year wait, on December 2, 2006, Elimo finally signed legendary murals in a Murang’a Anglican Cathedral; St. James Anglican Cathedral in Kiharu Muranga formerly called Fort Hall Cathedral.  

Elimo, a Fine-Arts graduate from Makerere University painted the 50 ft by 12 ft murals in 1951 as a young artist.  At the time, the political climate in Kenya was tense.  Elimo says he depicted the aspects of Jesus life from birth to crucifixion with an African touch with villages and huts.  Judas Iscariot holds an African club as his walking stick, which is a deadly weapon. 

 An owl in the background depicts a prophetic message of doom.  Though unsigned, the murals gave Elimo tremendous satisfaction.  They were unveiled by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the London Times at the time proclaimed them as “the most uplifting things found anywhere in the world”. 

The Paa ya Paa gallery continue to be an incubating centre for upcoming and established artists. 

“Our inspiration comes from Africa and from the Bible,” says an aging Elimo. 

His current wife American-born Philda Njau, herself an accomplished piano teacher, brings in a musical aspect to Elimo’s art and has orchestrated musical groups such as afro jazz band Bush Bach which combined African drum rhythms with classical contemporary music. 

Among the dignitaries who have visited the centre are former US President Jimmy Carter in 1998, Nigerian playwright and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, the late writer Okot p’Bitek, African American comedian Dick Gregory and actor Sidney Poitier.