Stephen Mbatia

Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three

About the Session

NAIROBI – Following their successful collaboration in 2025, Strauss & Co, Africa’s leading auction house, and Danda Jaroljmek, Director of Art Auction East Africa, will present Art Auction East Africa | Strauss & Co, a 67-lot sale bringing together modern and contemporary art from East Africa and the wider continent. The live-virtual sale will be held at Circle Art Gallery in Nairobi on Wednesday, 28 October, 2026, 7pm EAT. The catalogue spans a diversity of East African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda, alongside works by artists from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Nigeria. Works on paper, photography and sculpture complements the strong painting consignment. “The selection invites collectors to discover East Africa’s diverse modernist histories, particularly those beyond the Anglophone world,” says Susie Goodman. “In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in East African modernists, with artists associated with the Khartoum School shown in museums and fairs globally. Our work as an auction house rooted in Africa is ensuring this rediscovery is not temporary. We are delighted to partner with Danda Jaroljmek in cultivating a sustainable secondary market for East African modernists active during the era of decolonisation and independence.” A preview exhibition will be held at Circle Art Gallery, Victoria Square, Riara Road, Nairobi, during the two weeks preceding the auction on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.


Sold For

KES 99 790
Lot 11
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
  • Stephen Mbatia; Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three

LOT 11

Stephen Mbatia

Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three
Lot Estimate Change Currency
KES 80 000 - 120 000
Selling Price
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
KES 99 790
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
Shipping
Condition Report
May include additional detailed images
Auction Catalogue

About this Item

Kenyan 1963-
Untitled (Wildebeest Migration I); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration II); Untitled (Wildebeest Migration III), three

each signed

monotype on card, ink and watercolour on paper and monotype and ink on card
(1) 12 by 17,5cm excluding frame; 25,5 by 30,5 by 2cm, including frame (2) 17,5 by 27cm excluding frame; 30,5 by 40 by 2cm, including frame (3) 30,5 by 41,5cm excluding frame; 43,5 by 54,5 by 2cm, including frame

Provenance

Private Collection.

Notes

Born in Murang’a, Kenya, Stephen Mbatia completed his Bachelor of Education in Fine Art at Kenyatta University in 1988. After graduating, he taught at Thogoto Teachers College in Kiyuyu, Kenya, for five years before establishing his own art studio in the Kenyan town of Ngong.

Stephen Mbatia’s love of his home country is palpable in his art. Mbatia frequently depicts wildlife and day-to-day life in Kenya in a variety of media, from watercolour and oil paintings to charcoal drawings and collage.

Mbatia has exhibited his artwork in Kenya, Japan and New York.

View all Stephen Mbatia lots for sale in this auction