Home filled with African art

After more than 25 years of living all over Africa, Anja and Jumbe Sebunya have an incredible collection of art from artists from Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique and more. These pieces create the backbone of their decor, filling their home with color.

“We both love contemporary visual art, so it’s filled with art that’s very bright with vibrant colors,” said Anja. “We started collecting in Ghana in the early ’90s.”

They are also looking to blend the art they see in Atlanta’s art scene with the work they collected during their years in Africa.

“I looked at some of the contemporary artists from Atlanta, and got one or two pieces from here as well just to see how much dialogue we could develop in conversation between artists,” said Jumbe. “We’re very passionate about it.”

Their love of African art is so great that this year the couple began aKAZ!ATL, a startup specializing in African contemporary art and design. They work with African artists and artists from Atlanta, building marketing opportunities and creating space for a narrative about Africa that is about coping, resilience, innovation and transformational beauty.

“Our startup is to create a space for those encounters to happen between what is happening on the African continent and here in Atlanta and the Southeast,” said Anja. “Hopefully we can curate collections of art and design, interior decoration and jewelry.”

Their home will be on the Old Fourth Ward Tour of Homes on Sept. 22.

PHOTOS BY REYNOLDS ROGERS A muted marble countertop and gray grained cabinets give the kitchen a polished style. Barstools from Kudzu Antiques + Modern provide seating at the bar, giving the space a more industrial look. “It’s very functional and elegant,” said homeowner Anja Sebunya.

Anja and Jumbe Sebunya bought their Old Fourth Ward duplex in 2018. The couple moved to the area from Decatur after realizing that most of what they did for fun involved traveling into Atlanta. They filled their home with art collected during the 25 years that they spent living in different parts of Africa. Anja works at the Atlanta International School, and Jumbe is a retired international humanitarian assistance executive with Care. He is also the owner of a startup specializing in African contemporary art and design called aKAZ!ATL.

In the loft area of Jumbe and Anja Sebunya’s home there is a desk fashioned from an oil drum with a glass top from Atmosphère Décoration in Dakar, Senegal.

Furniture from Target sits on Jumbe and Anja Sebunya’s deck. The couple had the furniture reupholstered in Dakar, Senegal, using traditional Dutch wax fabric. The coffee table comes from Artlantique, also in Dakar, Senegal.

Above the Crate & Barrel sofa in Anja and Jumbe Sebunya’s loft is a painting by the Mozambican artist Magupela. Baskets from Rosecraft, what is now Eswatini, line the coffee table, while a traditionally carved fish from Mali sits in front of the window.