The best show case of Rwandan art and culture can be found at the various Museums in Rwanda. There are detailed description of the museums in a dedicated article on Museums of Rwanda. Most interesting of these is the Arts Museum at Rwesero ,Nyanza(Butare).

Art in Rwanda took a back seat for a long time. The Art in Rwanda can be classified into 4 categories broadly, Weaving or basketry , pottery , Painting , Handicrafts.

Weaving or Basket Making in Rwanda (Muhabura Basket or  Peace Basket) :

There are basically 3 materials used for making these baskets Sisal Fiber, Banana Fiber and some herbs. Traditionally these where dry containers used to store food, medicine etc. The peace basket is one of the products that Rwandan Artisans are selling world over with assistance from various NGOs.  We have provided links to some sites that sell such products, we have no affiliation with those sites and have provided the links just in the hope of helping them in their efforts.

The peace basket is believed to be given when welcoming people from another clan for a ceremony etc. There are other types of baskets also with traditional values like those given to commemorate friendship, those that are thank you gifts etc. Now these baskets are mostly made for selling in the tourist and international markets and very few are being used as functional house hold accessories; but they are being used as decorative items.  To buy them you can visit

Rwandan Pottery and Ceramics :

Pottery is one of the oldest forms of art in Rwanda, it has survived the test of times. The Rwandan potterer , even today make competitively priced bowls , mugs and other vessels. These are used in Rwandan homes even today.

They have started to get a decorative value also. The modern Rwandan potter also works  with brown mud, unlike the mica rich traditional form that is shown in the picture above, they have started to make flower pots, decorative vases and so on with brown mud. Some potteries have also started making decorative floor tiles.

Rwandan Painting :

The most common medium is water colors, enamels are also used, most Paintings are made to be sold or on the walls of building etc.

The most common scenes are those from villages , however one can find depiction of modern Rwanda also. Paintings on T-Shirts are also found in many shops. Many new buildings have huge paintings done by local artists.

Rwandan handicrafts and wood art:

As in any other East- African country, articles made from wood are the most commonly sold souvenir. The Rwandan wood art has a distinct form and can be easily differentiated from those from its neighboring countries. Common handicrafts include paper weights, earnings , bracelets , Wooden mannequin ,  musical instruments and so on. Wooden vessels are also commonly seen.

These artists are usually used for decorating hotels and resorts , one can find many resorts with beautifully decorated pillars, hand carved from wood.

Rwandan  Artisans or Artists:

There are several artisans cooperatives, the biggest one is Caplaki, the ‘Village des Artistes de Kigali’.  The picture below show a view from outside  the Kigali Artists Village. The group consists mainly of artists selling their own handicrafts and other memorabilia. It is highly recommended that you bargain. The collection here also includes things as old as 200 years old, most of them however are from Congo.

Another artisans cooperative can be found on the way to Ruhengeri from Kigali, it is called Gakenke Artisans Center. The products that can be found are almost the same across the cooperatives.

There are other such cooperatives also in Rwanda, if you know of any we will be more than happy to include them here. The telephone numbers for cooperatives and also some private shops selling arts and related merchandise can be found in our travel services section which can be found on the menu on top.

Apprenticeship Center for Arts and Crafts (National Museum Rwanda) :

Since 1996 the National Museum of Rwanda, has opened a center that trains children with social problems and assist them towards social insertion by training them in arts and crafts and other artistic work. This include making banana leaf post cards , forging , pottery etc. The object produced by the trainees are available at the gift shop inside the museum at Huye.

Some Websites of Rwandan Artisans or related NGOs:

http://www.sevenhopesunited.com/baskets

http://www.virungaart.com/Products_R_Baskets.htm

http://www.shonacongo.com/

http://www.rwanda-art.com/

http://www.ivukaarts.com

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/rwanda-path-to-peace-collection-handcrafted

We are not affiliated to any of the websites above and if you know any other website of similar nature do let us know so that we can add it here.