About the speaker

Valerie Kabov is a third-generation art historian, art critic, art educator and writer and advocate who has been based in Harare, Zimbabwe since 2009. She is the co-founder with Marcus Gora of First Floor Gallery Harare, which over the 15 years became Zimbabwe’s and region’s leading independent international gallery with a reputation for discovery and development of stellar emerging talents. 

Since 2015, she has also been Editor-at-Large of Art Africa Magazine; and in 2016 co-founder of African Art Galleries Association; in 2019 with African Art Galleries Association she co-founded EPI - Emerging Painting Invitational – the pan-African emerging painting prize. Valerie sits on the Advisory Board of EAMAN (East African Museum of Art Nairobi), Zimbabwe Fashion Week and the Multarity Project, an international AI focused think tank and consultancy. Valerie’s other projects include research and lecturing on economic sustainability in contemporary African art sectors, advising private collectors and auction houses on contemporary African art and the art market, as well as mentoring emerging artists across the continent. 

Since 2025 she has been running with Jonathan Freemantle, ‘The Love That Loves You Back’ a podcast focused on supporting artists and sharing insights on art history and art polemics. Valerie holds a Masters in Art History & Theory (Curatorship, Modern Art/Cultural Economics) from University of Sydney, as well as degrees in Law and Economics from University of Melbourne, Australia.