Tribal Gallery is a luxury art, interiors and lifestyle company based in Nairobi, Kenya - bringing together the work of leading contemporary artists and the timeless craftmanship of artisans from across Africa and Asia.
Before founding Tribal Gallery, we, sister & brother partnership Louise and John Paterson, had rewarding careers in the humanitarian and aviation sectors - living and working in countries as inspiring and diverse as Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates. During this time and over many years of travel, we grew and evolved our dream to create a business that would be a celebration of global art, events and exquisite hand-created furniture and textiles.
Our journeys immerse us in the unique and wonderful cultures of the countries we visit – the diversity of the people, the landscapes, and the often-astonishing work of the artists and craftsmen that live there. These travels are in search of exceptional pieces - hand-created by artisans using new approaches or with skills passed down through generations. We believe in and support sustainable and small-scale artisan production - partnering with ethical and responsible small businesses to preserve these traditional skills and the communities that they support.
At the centre of the Tribal Gallery product range is the bespoke, hand-crafted furniture that our carpenters create from up-cycled dhow wood - a sailing ship that has navigated the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Arabia for centuries. At the gallery, reclaimed teak dining tables are laid with hand-thrown ceramics and glassware while carpets woven by the Berber tribes of the Atlas Mountain range of Morocco and the master-weavers of Iran and Afghanistan adorn the floors. Meanwhile, artwork by leading African artists look down upon Qing dynasty Chinese furniture and sofas covered in crisp cottons, sumptuous velvets and timelessly elegant linen.
We have been thrilled to see Tribal Gallery pieces enrich wonderful homes across the globe - from lodges in the Masai Mara and beach houses on the Kenyan coast to centuries old farmhouses in Tuscany and New York lofts.
We also continue to partner with many of the world’s leading architects, developers, interior designers and property owners in the creation of some of Kenya’s most inspired spaces. These include the stunningly crafted luxury eco lodges of the Sheldrick Wildlife trust, and Arijiju - an exclusive private retreat in Laikipia, combining contemporary and ancient, elemental and artisanal design. On the coast, our clients include The Fort and The Kasbah – incredibly elegant and unique sanctuaries in the magical and
timeless Lamu.
Tribal Gallery is located among the lush, tropical greenery on Loresho Ridge, Nairobi. It is a truely magical space where our talented team of artisans create our bespoke furniture and where the beautiful pieces that we hand-source across Africa and Asia finds a home.
It's in this wonderful location that we hold our events - celebrations of global art, cuisine and culture where we bring together our clients with some remarkarbly talented artists, chefs and mixologists.
