At 1-54 London, African Modernism Gets a Dedicated Section
It is the 14th edition of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, which runs at Somerset House from 15 to 18 October, and this year its modernist spotlight features familiar names: Gerard Sekoto, Skunder Boghossian, Papa Ibra Tall and Ibrahim El-Salahi, among others. This is not the first time 1-54 has featured modernist African artists, but […]
Dede Arisekola Is Building a World of Her Own
Most designers at the start of their careers arrive with something to say. Dede Arisekola is charting a less familiar course, guided by a question: “What if the things we inherit were only the beginning of what we could become?” The Irish-born Nigerian designer is interested in the societal expectations woven into the clothes we […]
African Art Doesn’t Need the White Cube
For centuries, African art has thrived through colour, movement and ritual. But as contemporary African galleries rethink how work is shown, the white cube is no longer the only option.
How Brands Sell Belonging
Belonging is the new currency of African fashion, and the labels that trade in it are turning shoppers into believers.
Mark Mpundu on Nshima, the Zambezi and Going Where the Locals Go
Mark Mpundu started out streaming video games from places you would not expect to find a console, and turned that instinct into a running record of Zambia in short form. Known online as @honeymarku5, he documents the places, events and everyday moments of contemporary Zambian life across Instagram and TikTok, moving between travel, lifestyle, conferences […]
The Masters Africa Can Still Afford
Ayo Adeyinka left finance to deal in modern African art. As his gallery takes Lamidi Fakeye to Frieze Masters, he makes a case for buying the continent’s masters while they remain within reach, and giving their work a life beyond private collections.
The Textiles That Found Home on the Swahili Coast
Explore Swahili Coast textiles, from kanga and kikoi to kitenge and Amerikani, and how Indian Ocean trade shaped East African dress and identity.
The Commercial Life of African Culture
Ownership, rights and distribution shape who profits from the African creative economy, from wax print and photography to Afrobeats.
The Art of African Braiding, Through the Eyes of Gen Z
In many African cultures, hair can carry stories from one generation to another. Through braiding and threading techniques, a simple change in appearance can become meaningful, representing different statuses and stages across an individual’s lifespan. Hair traditions were therefore fundamental to a community’s identity, often signifying the crown of its kinship and the core of […]
Filhas do Barro / Daughters of Clay
On Santiago, Cape Verde, seven women potters speak of the livelihoods they have built in clay and the knowledge they will leave to their daughters. “Clay has been my source of livelihood,” one of the women says early in Filhas do Barro. “Ever since I started working alongside my mother, clay has been my school.” […]