In recent years, there has been a growing interest in pre-imperialistic artistic expression, particularly from Africa. Artists from the African diaspora are now featured in design galleries and contemporary art events like Frieze, Art Basel, and MiArt. Under the influence of post-colonial studies, their works have also been included in recent editions of the Venice Biennale of Art and Architecture. The Serpentine Galleries in London are currently showcasing a solo exhibition by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE, which invites reflection on the ecological impact of colonization and the legacy of imperialism by challenging Western iconography.
Olivier Chow, founder of the Foreign Agent gallery in Lausanne specializing in contemporary African art, notes a longstanding interest in African artistic expression, previously confined to traditional art. Platforms like the 1-54 Art Fair and various museum exhibitions have helped push this trend, similar to the rise of Chinese art in the 1990s. Movements like Black Lives Matter have also increased diversity, representation, and inclusion for Black artists and other marginalized groups.
Trevyn McGowan, co-founder of Southern Guild, a gallery in Cape Town, adds that the art world in Europe and the United States needs to learn from and listen to 'other' voices. African artists have important messages, using materials in new ways, creating unique techniques, and disrupting traditional methods. Artists like Madoda Fani, Rich Mnisi, and Zizipho Poswa use their work to explore, preserve, and celebrate traditional knowledge, spirituality, ancient cosmologies, and the beauty of handcrafted objects passed down through generations.
Interlude Rwanda, a project curated by Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, Bonita Mutoni, and Cristina Romelli Gervasoni, runs until October 25 and aims to promote the vibrant local art scene in Rwanda during a time of stability and economic growth. Over a year and a half, the project produced over a hundred works with ten local artists, each deeply connected to the territory and national history. For example, sculptor Medard Bizimana from northern Rwanda creates site-specific objects from volcanic stone for royal kitchens. This project highlights the need to reconnect with interrupted histories, especially after the genocide thirty years ago, by reinterpreting their stories through locally rooted techniques.
London-based designer Simone Brewster emphasizes the growing awareness driven by designers of color. Her work reflects an effort to represent African, rather than Western, cultural expression in design, addressing a persistent lack of representation. She notes that designers of color are authentically centered on their heritage, and the rising interest is due to the high quality of their work and the embrace of broader inspirations and aesthetic principles. Recognizing the African diaspora's existence means acknowledging multiple histories and cultures, offering much to learn and be inspired by.
African creatives use alternative approaches to address existential and global issues like ecology. Artists like Hamed Ouattara and Bibi Seck excel in recycling, a practice long necessary in Africa due to material shortages, which now serves as a global reminder of waste issues, often exacerbated by Western exports to Africa.
Cheick Diallo repurposes scrap metals, fishing lines, and leather remnants using West African artisanal techniques, while Andile Dyalvane engages with clay in a dance-like manner, invoking his Xhosa ancestors. Many African artists imagine new paths that honor tradition and expand their sense of identity, allowing the complexity of the past, present, and future to flourish.
For Western admirers, there is much to learn from African art. Chow concludes that Africa is often perceived monolithically or through colonial and negative clichés, despite its vast diversity. McGowan hopes that recognizing African and diasporic lessons will lead to greater awareness of how colonial legacies have shaped Western understanding of art and its contexts. He envisions a future where art is recognized as specifically Beninese, South African, or Ethiopian, rather than generically African.
