Visual artists from Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, have had some impact in the state of the arts in Africa and abroad. Below are some of the artists to look out for from Mauritania and the work they have done in Africa and the diaspora. Oumar…
Image courtesy of the artist Central to Zohra Opoku’s practice is her use of textiles to explore themes of identity, memory, and migration. Her textile-based installations and sculptures offer a richly layered visual experience that highlights the complex cultural connections between Africa and Europe, as well as the…
Mr. Eazi, a global popstar from Nigeria known for songs like “Skin Tight,” “Bankulize,” and “Leg Over,” revealed in June of last year that he will be working with prominent African visual artists for his upcoming debut album. Mr. Eazi’s artistic project, in which he makes visual artwork…
There are galleries in the diaspora invested in the promotion of art from African artists. Through programming, acquisitions, and exhibitions, a growing number of art institutions are addressing historical gaps and erasures in the representation of Africa and its diasporas. Here is a list of galleries and museums…
Syowia Kyambi, a Kenyan multimedia artist currently residing in Germany, uses her work to highlight how we can infiltrate ethnographic museums and use archival materials to respond to specific sites and spaces without behaving like colonizers. To answer this question, she created a character named Kapsale, a trickster,…
Addis Fine Art, a contemporary art gallery dedicated to incubating emerging talent, facilitating critical engagement and encouraging the growth and development of the art scene on the continent has kicked off the new year by presenting the first European solo exhibition of Ethiopian artist Dawit Adnew. The exhibition…
Purchasing merchandise from the store is one thing, and getting your hands on the limited editions from your favorite artist like Kehinde Wiley is another. Kehinde Wiley’s store has ever been growing with items wearing his invaluable painting either from an exhibition or another colossal event. These can…
In January 2023, the Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on African Studies sponsored research trips to South Africa for two Ph.D. candidates, Alex Fialho and Alexandra “Aly” Thomas, in the Departments of the History of Art and African American Studies at Yale. Alex Fialho and Alexandra “Aly” Thomas in…
The New York-based artist, who was born in Cameroon, draws inspiration from his own life as a Black immigrant to the country. He immigrated in the US when he was thirteen years old. This relocation has an impact on his art and throws light on issues of identity…
The World Press Contest began in 1955 as an international competition organized by Dutch photographers to provide a global audience to international artists. Over the years, it has evolved into a platform that directs and guides visual journalists, storytellers, and global audiences to create meaningful stories through various…
The opening of the 2022 1-54 art fair in New York. Courtesy of ARTnews/EVA SAKELLARIDES 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, the leading international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and the African diaspora, announced its return to New York with fresh African galleries. The newcomers are;…
Dada Gallery showcases astounding artists working across different mediums. Courtesy of Dada Gallery. On March 31st, Dada gallery announced their upcoming group show ‘Reverie’, opening in Lagos on 9th April, 2023. The show which features seven artists who have made name in the art scene seeks to explore…
Zeitz MOCAA, the largest museum of contemporary art, has announced the appointment of four pioneering women in the contemporary art scene with impressive backgrounds in arts and culture to join its team. The new additions include Lungi Morrison as Institutional Advancement Director, Namhla Moyeni as Institutional Advancement Manager,…
The influence of classical and contemporary African art has played a significant role in shaping modern art as we know it today. The contemporary African art scene is home to a group of artists who continue to showcase Africa’s position as the motherland of modern and contemporary art.…
The past decade has witnessed an influx of African artists who have diversified their mediums and styles, incorporating a wide range of materials and painting techniques, including those from western culture. Africa is known for its rich and diverse culture, and it’s no surprise that talented and renowned…
Mental health is a critical focus in modern Africa, and institutions are turning to art therapy as a tool to improve individuals’ well-being. Art therapy, designed by therapists and art professionals, helps patients understand, interpret, and cope with past traumatic events. It engages the mind through physical stimulation,…
Developed in 1998 to promote Ghanian contemporary visual arts, the Accra Visual Arts week returns after a 20-year pause this year with exhibitions slated for five venues from April 4 to April 11, 2023. Patrick Tagoe Tuckson, “Untitled,’ Flip flops on suede. Showing in a solo at AUCC,…
Jean Bosco Bakunzi was born and raised in Kigali, Rwanda in 1985. Growing up he enjoyed sketching with pincers and pastel colors. He was then introduced to a group of local artist painters where he discovered a great interest in acrylic and oil paints. He sees painting as…
Kwame Brathwaite Image courtesy of Cory Rice Kwame Brathwaite, a photographer and activist whose works inspired the “Black is Beautiful” movement of the late 1950s and early 1960s, has died at the age of 85. Brathwaite, during his career which spanned seven decades, documented the everyday life of…
Julie Mehretu is an Ethiopian-American visual artist. Born in 1970 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to an Ethiopian university professor and an American school teacher, she is known for multi-layered paintings of abstracted landscapes on a large scale, depicting the effects of urban socio political changes. In 1977 her family…