Julius Njau was born in 1961 in Marangu, Moshi in Tanzania. He attended the Kilimanjaro Primary School and the Moshi Technical Secondary School where he graduated. His career as an artist started when he began to paint while he had to spend two years in hospital after he broke his leg badly in 1972. There he was treated by a Finnish X-ray specialist who was the first to encourage his art, buying materials for him, and works from him. She organized his first exhibition in Finland in 1983. His early works were representaional, working with the themes of his people's traditions and wildlife. 1984 saw a dramatic change in his technique and style as he shifted into the abstract. His paintings are constructed from the interplay of primary colors and the intermingling of obscured shapes. Julius Njau's vast work has been collected by the Prefecture of Osaka, and the Museum of Modern Art Toyama in Japan, the Museum fur Volkerkunde, Frankfurt, and Galerie ZAK (Zeitgenossische afrikanische Kunst), Furth in Germany, Amos Anderson Gallery, Helsinki, Finland, and 5th British Museum, England. In 2002, Julius Njau received the Nagoya Mayor's Prize and in 2003 he was awarded the Grand Prize in the Toyama Prefecture's International Competition for the "Sukiyaki Meets the World" Festival Poster Design. Julius Njau is a founding member and President of Marafiki - Friendship and Art.

 

EXHIBITIONS

1983 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Amos Anderson Museum, Helsinki, Finland
1984 'Group Exhibition' Gallery of Denmark
1985 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Danish Volunteer Training Centre, Tanzania
1985 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Tynset, Norway
1985 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Gallery of Sweden
1986 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Danish Volunteer Training Centre, Tanzania
1987 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1988 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Vogue Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
1988 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Centre culturel francais, Nairobi, Kenya
1989 'Julius Njau One Man Show' National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
1990 'Into the Nineties' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1990 'Portraits of Kenya' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 'Gallery Artists' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 'The Custodian's View' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Nairobi Safari Club, Kenya
1991 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Nagoya City Network Centre, Nagoya, Japan
1991 'Julius Njau One Man Show' National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 'Julius Njau One Man Show' The German Culture Centers, Goethe Institut, Nairobi, Kenya
1992 'Julius Njau One Man Show' International Gallery, Madrid, Spain
1992 'Through the Artists' Eyes' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1992 'Rafiki wa zamani' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1992 'Kenya Art Panorama' Centre culturel francaise, Nairobi, Kenya
1993 'Jan.-Feb. Exhibition' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1993 'End of the Year' Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1996 'Group Exhibition' Osaka Triennale, Osaka, Japan
1996 'Julius Njau One Man Show' National Museum of Kenya, Gallery Watatu, Nairobi, Kenya
1996 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Bokushin Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1996 'Foreign Artists' Exhibition '96' Nagoya International Center, Nagoya, Japan
1996/7 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Nara, Japan
1997/8 'Group Exhibition' Osaka Triennale, Osaka, Japan
1998 'Group Exhibition' Doyusya Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1998 'Group Exhibition' Osaka MunicipalMuseum of Art, Japan
1998 'Group Exhibition' Hokutopia, Japan
1998 'Group Exhibition' Niigata Prefectural Civic Center, Japan
1998 'Group Exhibition' Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, J apan
1998 'Group Exhibition' Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Japan
1999 'Julius Njau One Man Show-The Wings of Kilimanjaro- Gallery Haku, Osaka, Japan
1999 'Group Exhibition' Gallery Zak, Germany
1999 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Der Drechtston Salon, Holland
2000 'Julius Njau One Man Show' -Vereniging voor- Beeldende Kunstenaars, Dordrecht, Galerie Dordt/VBKD, Holland
2001 'Julius Njau One Man Show' -The Wings of Kilimanjaro- Osaka Prefectural Museum of Art Osaka, Japan
2001 'Julius Njau One Man Show' -The Wings of Kilimanjaro- Gallery Mai, Tokyo, Japan
2002 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Osaka Prefecture Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
2002 'Julius Njau One Man Show' -Beat of African Earth- Gallery Milieu, Tokyo, Japan
2002 'Tachikawa International Art Festival' Tachikawa City, Tokyo, Japan
2002 'Group Exhibition' -Foreign Artists Exhibition- Nagoya International Center, Nagoya, Japan
2002 'Group Exhibition' Nagoya International Center, Nagoya, Japan
2002 'Received the Nagoya Mayor's Prize' Nagoya, Japan
2003 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Osaka Prefecture Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
2003 'Group Exhibition' Nagoya Internationl Center Nagoya, Japan 2003 'Julius Njau One Man Show'-Sukiyaki Meets The World- The Wings of Kilimanjaro 2003" at Art Gallery Kichi-ya in Fukuno-cho, Toyama, Japan
2003 'International Poster Triennial In Toyama' The Museum Of Modern Art, Toyama, Japan
2003 'Julius Njau One Man Show' -Varjo- Galleria Hyvarisella, Finland
2004 'Group Exhibition' Gallery Jin Nagoya, Japan
2004 'Group Exhibition' Gallery Haku Osaka, Japan
2004 'Julius Njau One Man Show' -Vereniging voor- Beeldende Kunstenaars, Dordrecht, Holland
2004 'Julius Njau One Man Show' -Varjo- Galleria Hyvarisella, Finland
2004 'Julius Njau One Man' Show Osaka Prefecture Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
2005 'Group Exhibition' Nagoya Internationl Center Nagoya, Japan
2006 'Julius Njau One Man Show' -Varjo- Galleria Hyvarisella, Finland
2006 'Group Exhibition' Setsuyosha Art Gallery, Niigata, Japan
2006 'Group Exhibition' Gallery Jin, Nagoya, Japan
2006 'The 7th Itami Size-0 Prize Exhibition', Itami City Art Gallery, Hyogo, Japan
2006 'The 13th Public Subscription Exhibition', Woodcarving Folk Art in Oya - The Figure of Life in Hometown Hyogo, Japan
2006 'Group Exhibition' Nagoya International Center, Nagoya, Japan
2006 'The 18th Shinwa Art Exhibition' Tsuyama City Culture Exhibition Hall, Okayama, Japan
2007 'Group Exhibition' Matsuzakaya Gallery, Nagoya, Japan
2008 'Group Exhibition' Fukuoka - Museum of Art, Japan
2008 'Group Exhibition' Museum of Art, Toyota City, Japan
2008 'Julius Njau One Man Show' Museum LaiLai, Spain
2008 'Group Exhibition' Setsuryosya-Museum of Art, Niigata, Japan
2009 'Transnational Art 2009, Contemporary Art Exhibition' Osaka Prefecture Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan
2009 'Group Exhibition' Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Japan
2009 'Duo Exhibition'-The Wings of Kilimanjaro- Osaka Contemporary Art Center, Osaka, Japan
2009 'Group Exhibition'-friendship- SOHO art gallery, Osaka, Japan
2009 'Duo Exhibition'-The Wings of Kilimanjaro- Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan
2009 'International Poster Triennial In Toyama' The Museum Of Modern Art, Toyama, Japan
2009 2F Exhibition Hall, Niikawa Mirage Hall, Toyama-ken, Japan
2009 1F Communication space A, WING WING TAKAOKA, Toyama-ken, Japan
2009 'Duo Biennale Exhibition JAA GALLERY (Ginza, Tokyo) Japan
2010 'Duo Hino Traveling Exhibition Hino Civic Hall (Hino city, Tokyo) Japan
2010 'Duo Tsuru Traveling Exhibition Tsuru Lyceum (Tsuru city, Yamanashi) Japan
2010 'Duo Kikukawa Traveling Exhibition Kikukawa City Central Public Hall (Kikukawa city, Shizuoka) Japan
2011 'Duo Exhibition "Black & white" Higashi Nagoya National Hospital, Japan
2011/2012 Group Exhibition, Norbertellen Gallery, Los Angeles, U.S.A
2011 'Duo Gallery Ginza, chuo-ku, Tokyo Japan
2013 'Group Exhibition, Norbertellen Gallery, Los Angeles, U.S.A
2014 ' Julius Njau Group Transnational Art Exhibition, Museum, Osaka, Japan
2015 'Aichi Art Bruit Exhibition Aichi prefectural museum of art, Nagoya Japan
2015' Spectrum Miami 2015 Art BaseI Week U.S.A
2016 'Aichi ARTBRUT Exhibition, Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya Japan
2017 'Yurakucho Asahi Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2017 Julius Njau Exhibition Gallery westle castle Nagoya, Japan,
2018'Aichi Art Bruit Exhibition Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya Japan
2018 'Showa-ku Peace Art Exhibition, Nagoya City Museum
2018 'Duo Exhibition "Spirit of Friendship" Higashi Nagoya National Hospital, Japan
2019 'Duo Exhibition "Looking at the World" Higashi Nagoya National Hospital, Japan
2019 'Duo Exhibition "Views of the World" TAIJI HARADA Art Museum, Nagano, Japan
2019 Julius Njau Exhibition Gallery westle castle transcultural encounter, Nagoya, Japan
2019 'Aichi ARTBRUT Exhibition, Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya
2019 'Aichi ARTBRUT Exhibition, Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya
2020 'Aichi ARTBRUT Exhibition, Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya, Japan
2021 'Aichi ARTBRUT SATELLITE Exhibition, Toyokawa City Sakuragaoka Museum, Toyokawa, Japan
2022 the NBC Meshtec International Silk Screen Print Biennial Exhibition, Yurakucho Asahi Gallery, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
2023 Aichi ARTBRUT Exhibition, Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya, Japan

PERMANENT COLLECTIONS:

Julius Njau, Permanent Collection of Osaka Contemporary Art Center Museum, Osaka, Japan, 1996
Julius Njau, Permanent Collection of Osaka Contemporary Art Center Museum, Osaka, Japan, 1997
Julius Njau, Permanent Collection of Toyama Modern Art Museum, Toyama, Japan, 2003
Julius Njau, Permanent Collection of Toyama Modern Art Museum, Toyama, Japan, 2009
Julius Njau, Permanent Collection, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Frankfurt, Germany, 1986
Julius Njau, Permanent Collection, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Frankfurt, Germany, 1988
Julius Njau, Permanent Collection, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Frankfurt, Germany, 1988
Julius Njau, Permanent Collection, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Frankfurt, Germany, 1988
Julius Njau, Permanent Collection, Tama Art University, Tokyo, Japan, 2002

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:

Julius Njau, Private Collection by Inari Virmakoski, Finland, 1973
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Mechthild Rünger, Germany, 1992
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Brigitte Moehwald, Germany, 1992
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Brigitte Moehwald, Germany, 1992
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Brigitte Moehwald, Germany, 1992
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Michael Brandkamp, Germany, 1996
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Yuki Hiraide, Japan, 1994
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Jack Coulter, USA, 1995
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Shoko Hayasaka, Japan, 1995
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Shoko Hayasaka, Japan, 1995
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Frank Valenta, Canada, 1996
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Fukuyo Matsushita, Japan, 1996
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Naoko Fujita, Japan, 1999
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Kyoko Hashimoto, Japan, 1999
Julius Njau, Private Collection by Claudia Oliveira Cezar, 1993