Henry Tayali Visual Arts Centre

The Henry Tayali Visual Arts Centre is located within the Lusaka Showgrounds off the Great East Road in Lusaka, Zambia, and is the capital's main gallery for contemporary Zambian art. It is named for Henry Tayali, a pioneering Zambian painter and sculptor who helped establish a national visual arts identity after independence. The centre exhibits paintings, sculpture, and mixed-media work by Zambian artists, with the programme ranging from solo shows to group exhibitions and occasional workshops. Many works are available for purchase, which gives visitors a direct way to buy original art and meet the makers, and the centre is widely regarded as a good place to learn about the themes of urban life, rural tradition, and social change that recur in Zambian art. Entry is free, and a visit takes between forty-five minutes and an hour, longer if a show is large or an artist is present. Weekday afternoons are generally calm, with few other visitors and good natural light in the galleries, although opening hours should be confirmed locally because they can change around events at the showgrounds. Photography rules vary by exhibition, so visitors should ask staff before taking pictures of artworks. A taxi from the city centre costs about K40 to K70. During the annual Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show in August, the surrounding grounds become very busy and access can be slower, so visitors should allow extra time. The centre pairs naturally with a walk around the showgrounds or a visit to nearby Arcades or Manda Hill for a meal afterwards.