The Koena Art Institute officially opened its doors on 3 December 2020 in Observatory Cape Town with the purpose of marketing and promoting South African indigenous art globally.

Lukretia Booysen, the 36 year old curator of the Koena Art Institute, entered the world of indigenous art as an art preservation activist. She originally started selling indigenous art in 2018, launching online sales in 2019 and eventually opening the doors of the Koena Art Institute as a fully fledged South African indigenous art gallery in December 2020.

Anthony Roach, an artist represented by the Koena Art Institute, believes the gallery is an important national platform for the promotion South African indigenous art.