A number of African artists under 35 are steadily building momentum. Their work is showing up in major exhibitions, featuring in notable collections, and sparking conversation across disciplines. Some approach their practice through bold material experimentation, while others draw deeply from history and lived experience. What unites them…

Standard Bank has opened a new space for contemporary visual arts in the heart of Sandton. Called The Standard Bank Art Lab, the space sits at Nelson Mandela Square and aims to bring together artists, audiences, and the wider creative community. Nandipha Mntambo, Jos Snyders, Dr Same Mdluli,…

Akademie Schloss Solitude, in partnership with the National Art Gallery of Namibia and the Goethe‑Institut Namibia, has opened applications for its 2025 residency program. The initiative seeks to foster meaningful artistic exchange between Namibia and Baden‑Württemberg. Image courtesy of Akademie Schloss Solitude Starting March 1, 2026, the program…

Dr. Abidemi Babatunde Babalola, lead archaeologist on the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) Archaeology Project, has won the 2025 Dan David Prize, widely regarded as the world’s largest history award. Dr. Abidemi Babatunde Babalola (Image credit: Archaeological Institute of America) A pioneering Nigerian archaeologist and research fellow…

Vuleka Art Competition was established in 1963 under a different name and is the oldest continuous art competition in South Africa. ‘Vuleka’ means open in isiXhosa and true to its name, Vuleka Art Conpetition 2025 is open to all South African artists who have not yet held a…

Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku is the winner of the 2025 Ellipse Prize, a prize focused on Ghana’s emerging art scene. Tieku was selected by an independent jury from five finalists—Reginald Boateng, Sena Burgundy, Nana Frimpong Oduro and Dela Anyah— who were selected out of 82 applicants. The jury included…

Selebe Yoon presents Tell me about your dream mosque, an exhibition by Fredj Moussa following a six-week residency in Senegal. The exhibition comprises paintings, drawings, sculptures and a video installation. Fredj Moussa began his research with a story of Mohamed Gorgui Seyni Gueye, known as Sangabi, and the…

Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has been recognized in the ‘Established Artists’ category at the inaugural Art Basel Awards 2025, celebrating his significant contributions to contemporary art through monumental installations and also community-driven initiatives. Ibrahim Mahama (Image credit: Art Basel) Mahama, born in Tamale in 1987, creates large-scale installations…

Tiwani Contemporary presents Virginia Chihota’s Munoonei kana makaditarisa nhai Mwari?/What do you see when you look at me ohh God? and For want of a horse, a button was lost by Felix Shumba, this June. Virginia Chihota uniquely visualises her inner world as an emotionally shifting, symbolic terrain—a reconnaissance marked…