Visual artist and curator Jemima Kakizi is bringing energy and international connections to Rwanda’s burgeoning contemporary arts scene, and her impact is effectively rewriting the country’s arts narrative and opening the way to improved opportunities for artists in the country.
As the founder of the Impundu Arts platform, Kakizi can often be found checking out the latest showings in Kigali’s growing number of art centres.
Like elsewhere in Africa, Rwanda’s contemporary arts sector is increasingly finding its own rhythm, with women now at the centre of a value shift affecting art.
According to the Museum of Modern African Art 2026 African & Diaspora Art Market Outlook, female artists command more than 52% of total auction turnover, effectively dismantling long-standing barriers.
Kakizi is working to bring that same momentum to Rwanda.
“It all started because it was also hard for me to get opportunities as a woman artist and make a living, you know, from my art. I thought that coming together would, give us more visibility and also when I started doing art, I think I knew, like, three women who were practicing, which is, like, a very small number. I always asked myself, where are the women artists?” she explained.
That isolation caused her to take action. Kakizi went looking for fellow women artists – many who hadn’t imagined their work could live outside their own homes. Through her platform, she bridges that gap, connecting emerging voices with the buyers and collaborators they need to thrive.
Her mentorship sessions provide practical tools – like pricing and portfolio building – that are rarely accessible to those outside traditional circles. For women balancing family life with creative ambition, this support is often what turns a personal passion into a sustainable career.
This vision took centre stage in The Testimony of Now, an exhibition Kakizi curated at Kigali’s SimpleLiving Art Gallery in December 2025. The concept, born during a residency in Egypt, explores how to pin down the fleeting moments of modern life before they slip away.
Recent studies by the Rwanda Development Board and the Ministry of Youth and Arts suggest the country’s creatives contribute between 2% and 3% to the economy. The government’s target is 5% by 2030.
Kakizi says that achieving that goal requires moving from the typical wildlife drawings toward conceptual work that incorporates contemporary culture and attracts local collectors.
“When I see that artists are able to make a living from their art, that’s the first one. The second would be to see more art spaces in Kigali and Rwandans being part of it. Because now things are changing and I’m very happy to see that Rwandans are buying even artworks, they are collecting.” – Bird Story Agency
- Jemima Kakizi, founder of Impundu Arts, is a key figure energizing Rwanda’s contemporary arts scene and expanding opportunities for artists, especially women.
- Rwanda’s contemporary art sector is evolving, with women artists now leading a value shift, commanding over 52% of auction turnover in Africa.
- Kakizi addresses the isolation of female artists by connecting them with buyers and collaborators, and providing mentorship on pricing and portfolio development.
- Her curated exhibition, The Testimony of Now, highlights contemporary cultural themes and the transient nature of modern life, promoting conceptual art in Rwanda.
- Rwanda aims to increase the creative sector’s economic contribution to 5% by 2030, with Kakizi advocating for more art spaces and local collectors to support artists’ sustainability.
