EAMAN - Eastern African Museum of Art Nairobi

What EAMAN - Eastern African Museum of Art Nairobi does

EAMAN (Eastern African Museum of Art-Nairobi) is a digital-first cultural institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, dedicated to collecting, preserving, researching, and displaying Eastern African art. The institution follows the UN definition of Eastern Africa and explicitly covers 20 countries, aiming to fill the gap between the world-class quality of Eastern African art production and the limited institutional infrastructure representing it. The institution operates with a lean core team of approximately five staff members, supplemented by an advisory board of internationally credentialed curators, museum professionals, and academics (Simon Njami, Gail Lord, Raphael Chikukwa, George Kyeyune, among others) and an Executive Board chaired by Isaac Awuondo, Chairman of NCBA Bank Kenya.

The institution's core offerings are organised around four digital platforms. "The Short Century" delivers a university-level course and curated gallery on Eastern African modernism between 1950 and 2000, drawing on art history professors and curators from the region. "Makonde Modern" is a collaborative research and curatorial platform anchored by a 2024-2025 report from Dr. Zachary Kingdon of National Museums Scotland, documenting the Salim Lalani Collection of over 200 blackwood sculptures created in Dar es Salaam between 1977 and 2002. "Listening to the Rift Valley" is a multimedia digital experience (over 1,000 images, 15-20 videos, interviews, and curatorial texts) hosted on Google Arts and Culture, focusing on the relationship between Rift Valley peoples and their environment. Supporting Digital Museum Spaces extend EAMAN's curated galleries and archives globally through web and partner platforms.

EAMAN's business model is that of a private, independent nonprofit cultural institution with no disclosed revenue-generating activities and no disclosed pricing model. Funding to date is grant-dependent, exemplified by British Council Kenya Catalyst and Follow-On Grants for the Makonde Modern project, with no venture capital, equity, or parent-company backing indicated. Distribution is hybrid: digital-first via EAMAN's own websites and the Google Arts and Culture partnership, complemented by physical-channel partnerships with galleries including Red Hill Art Gallery (Kenya), Circle Art Agency (East Africa), and First Floor Gallery Harare (Zimbabwe). The institution is in a pre-physical-museum development phase, with architectural design in collaboration with MASS Design Group for a planned state-of-the-art facility in Nairobi. Customer segments span the general public and art enthusiasts, art scholars and academics, and partner art institutions and museums across Eastern Africa and globally.

Name

EAMAN - Eastern African Museum of Art Nairobi

Legal name

Eastern African Museum of Art-Nairobi (EAMAN)

Website

https://eaman.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EAMAN is a digital-first museum and cultural institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and displaying Eastern African art across 20 countries. It operates digital platforms covering Eastern African modernism (1950-2000), Makonde blackwood sculpture, and Rift Valley heritage, with a physical museum planned.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum and Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAA

Art Museums

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYEDAAAGAO

Arts & Culture Appreciation (Art History, Film Appreciation, Music Appreciation)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Personal Enrichment & Hobby Learning (Arts, Crafts, Music, Cooking)

SECONDARYEDAAAGAA

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Personal Enrichment & Hobby Learning (Arts, Crafts, Music, Cooking)

Keywords

• Art museum services
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Art education platforms
• Digital exhibitions
• Eastern African art

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EAMAN is a museum institution dedicated to collecting, preserving, researching, and displaying Eastern African art through digital platforms and a planned physical museum. It sells and offers access to curated digital galleries, a university-level art history course, and archival research on Eastern African modernism, the Makonde blackwood sculpture movement, and Rift Valley cultural heritage.

Product overview

EAMAN operates as a digital-first museum institution offering multiple interconnected online platforms and digital museum spaces. The core offerings include 'The Short Century' (a university-level course and gallery exploring Eastern African modernism from 1950-2000), 'Makonde Modern' (a research and curatorial platform documenting the Makonde blackwood sculptural movement), and 'Listening to the Rift Valley' (a digital exhibition exploring Rift Valley environment and culture). These platforms are complemented by Digital Museum Spaces that utilize state-of-the-art technology to increase access to Eastern African art for audiences across Africa and globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Museums ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Dr. Zachary Kingdon from National Museums Scotland authored the 2024-2025 Makonde Modern report, providing scholarly research for the project documenting the Salim Lalani Collection.
• British CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish Council provided generous support for the Makonde Modern project through Kenya Catalyst and Follow-On Grants, enabling the research and documentation of the Makonde blackwood sculptural movement.
• Google Arts and CulturecoreTechnology or IntegrationEAMAN's 'Listening to the Rift Valley' narratives are hosted on the Google Arts and Culture platform, providing global digital access to the museum's content.
• Makerere UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAMAN draws on the artistic identities forged by formally trained artists of Makerere University. Prof. George Kyeyune serves on the advisory board as Director of the Institute of Heritage, Conservation and Restoration.
• University of Dar es SalaamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution whose post-independence art history is documented by EAMAN. Prof. Elias Jengo, Associate Professor at the university, serves on the Art Advisory Board.
• MASS Design GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian Benimana, Senior Principal and Managing Director of MASS Design Group, serves as a personal and institutional partner of EAMAN, contributing architectural expertise for the planned museum.
• Lord Cultural ResourcescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGail Dexter Lord, co-founder of Lord Cultural Resources (pre-eminent cultural planning firm with 2,700+ projects in 57 countries), serves on the Art Advisory Board providing museum planning expertise.
• Red Hill Art GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founders Erica and Hellmuth Musch-Rossler serve on the Art Advisory Board. The gallery is described as a powerful voice in shaping understanding of Eastern African art.
• National Gallery of ZimbabwecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaphael Chikukwa, Executive Director, serves on the Art Advisory Board. He has curated groundbreaking exhibitions and presided over Venice Biennale national pavilion exhibitions.
• Circle Art AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDanda Jaroljmek, Founder and Director, serves on the Art Advisory Board. East Africa's premier arts advisory agency operates the only art auction in East Africa.
• First Floor Gallery HarareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorValerie Kabov, co-founder and director, serves on the Art Advisory Board. Zimbabwe's leading independent international gallery.
• AtWorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimon Njami, advisor at AtWork and renowned independent curator, serves on the Art Advisory Board.
• Art Auction East AfricaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded by Danda Jaroljmek of Circle Art Agency, the only art auction in East Africa which has reintroduced modern artists in the region.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Museum of Black Civilizations: Dakar-based national museum opened in 2018 dedicated to Black civilization and African art. Direct peer as a recently established institution focused on African artistic and cultural heritage on the continent with state sponsorship and international profile.
• National Museum of African Art (Smithsonian): Smithsonian's museum in Washington DC exclusively dedicated to African art and culture. A direct peer as a dedicated African art museum with scholarly exhibitions, permanent collections, and educational programming.
• Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA): Cape Town-based museum dedicated to contemporary African art, the largest of its kind on the continent. Directly comparable to EAMAN as a flagship institution dedicated to African art with digital exhibition components and a globally recognized brand.
• Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac: Paris museum focused on non-European arts and civilizations with one of the world's premier collections of African art. Comparable to EAMAN for its specialization in African and indigenous art scholarship, curation, and scholarship-first exhibitions.

Broad incumbents

• Centre Pompidou: Major French modern art museum with growing African art exhibitions and programming. Comparable as a broader incumbent that includes African art in its portfolio, but without EAMAN's exclusive Eastern African regional specialization or 1950-2000 modernist focus.

Regional players

• National Gallery of Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's premier art museum with which EAMAN partners via board member Raphael Chikukwa. Comparable as an Eastern African regional art museum with curatorial expertise and exhibition programming, though smaller in scale and collections.
• National Museums of Kenya: Kenya's flagship museum institution headquartered in Nairobi. Comparable to EAMAN as a Kenya-based museum institution with cultural preservation and exhibition mandates, though EAMAN's digital-first approach and art specialization differentiate it from NMK's broader natural history and ethnographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/eaman_museum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eaman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EAMAN - Eastern African Museum of Art Nairobi