France’s parliament has passed a new law allowing the permanent return of a sacred Ivorian drum taken by colonial troops in 1916. The Djidji ayôkwé talking drum (Image credit: © Pierre Firtion / RFI, December 2022.) The Djidji Ayokwè drum, once used by the Ébrié people of Côte…
Art Basel has appointed celebrated Egyptian artist and filmmaker Wael Shawky as Artistic Director of its inaugural Qatar edition, set to take place in Doha in 2025. The announcement marks a pivotal moment for the region’s cultural landscape, as the world’s leading contemporary art fair expands into the…
The Sharjah Art Foundation has named Angolan architect and curator Paula Nascimento as co-curator of Sharjah Biennial 17, set to open in January 2027. She will work alongside Berlin-based art historian and professor Angela Harutyunyan. Paula Nascimento. (Image credit: Raul Betti) Nascimento, born in Luanda in 1981, is…
Zimbabwean artist Richard Mudariki, known for his sharp political paintings and bold institutional critiques, was blocked from attending his own exhibition at Africa Basel after Swiss authorities denied his visa application. The irony? His show was about access, borders, and the global imbalance in artistic mobility. Richard Mudariki,…
The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, has announced that it will officially open to the public on the 11th of November 2025. Initially announced in 2020, the MOWAA campus is designed as a 15-acre complex that will feature the MOWAA Institute for research…
Sudan Art Archive seeks to preserve Sudanese visual arts following a time where Sudan’s cultural memory has long been under attack through decades of state censorship and the effects of the devastating ongoing war that began in April 2023. As museums are looted and studios destroyed, the Sudan…
The 1952 Africa Foundation, in partnership with the HOW Foundation, has officially announced the shortlist for the 2025 Chizi Wigwe Prize for African Futurism. This distinguished $15,000 award celebrates visionary African artists who boldly explore the theme “Africa in 2100.” Designed to spotlight the power of imagination, the…
Yinka Shonibare has been announced as one of the key contributors to the Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial in central London. His involvement marks a bold and also thoughtful addition to a landmark that aims to honour the late monarch’s legacy with depth and nuance. Rendering of Foster…
Kaloki Nyamai (b. 1985, Kenya), founder of Kamene Cultural Center, and Michael Armitage (b. 1984, U.K./Kenya), founder of NCAI, are the newest additions to MOWAA’s inaugural artist council. They join West African artists Nengi Omuku (b. 1987, Nigeria), Victor Ehikamenor (b. 1970, Nigeria), Yinka Shonibare CBE RA (b.…
Sikelela Owen has clinched the 2025 Charles Wollaston Award at the Royal Academy for her oil painting Knitting. The £35,000 prize goes to the most distinguished work in the show, selected from more than 1,700 entries. Knitting by Sikelela Owen (Image credit: Royal Academy) Displayed in Gallery VIII, Knitting…