Maggie Otieno's 'Sojourner: The Difference Is the Same' at Efie Gallery, Dubai
From 23 September to 13 November 2026, Efie Gallery in Dubai will showcase 'Sojourner: The Difference Is the Same,' featuring new pieces by Kenyan artist Maggie Otieno. This marks her inaugural solo exhibition with the gallery, which began representing her in 2024. Otieno, recognized for her large-scale public installations in Nairobi, has nearly thirty years of experience, primarily utilizing reclaimed materials. The display includes sculptures made from 150-year-old railway sleepers and fragments of canoes, highlighting the material histories of East Africa. Additionally, works produced during her 2025 residency at El Anatsui Studio in Ghana will be featured. Otieno's intuitive approach explores themes of history, memory, and environmental resilience through semi-abstract forms.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Sojourner: The Difference Is the Same' by Maggie Otieno at Efie Gallery, Dubai
- Dates: 23 September – 13 November 2026
- Otieno's first solo show with Efie Gallery since representation began in 2024
- Features new sculptures using railway sleepers and canoe fragments
- Railway sleepers are over 150 years old, from India to Kenya in late 19th century
- Includes works from residency at El Anatsui Studio in Tema, Ghana, summer 2025
- Otieno known for public installations in Nairobi, including Garden City Mall and train stations
- Works produced at her studio in Karen, Nairobi, within an art centre she designed
Entities
Artists
- Maggie Otieno
- El Anatsui
Institutions
- Efie Gallery
- El Anatsui Studio
Locations
- Dubai
- United Arab Emirates
- Nairobi
- Kenya
- Tema
- Ghana
- Alserkal Avenue
- Al Quoz
- Karen