* This article first appeared here in YourLuxury Africa
London’s Tate Modern has recently opened the doors to Nigerian Modernism — an exhibition featuring 50 artists spanning 50 years. The 250 works (across painting, sculpture, textile, ceramics, and works on paper) offer vivid insight into the creative voices that were instrumental in shaping Nigeria’s post-colonial cultural landscape.
Ben Enwonwu is undoubtedly the star of the show, widely regarded as a leading figure in the African modernist movement. “I know that when a country is suppressed by another politically, the native traditions of the art of the suppressed begin to die out… Art, under this situation, is doomed,” he once said.
His life’s work was navigating these challenges, so it’s no surprise the exhibition highlights the recurring theme of post-colonial independence.
Following independence in 1960, local artists vocalised an understandable critique of Western artistic influence, seeking what Uche Okeke called ‘natural synthesis’ — a new cultural language for a new society, blending foreign and indigenous artistic traditions.
Moving through the gallery, Ben’s Seven Wooden Sculptures (commissioned by the Daily Mirror in 1960) is a stunning life-size display, complemented by a rich selection of his paintings and drawings. The exhibition continues with notable works by Akinola Lasekan, Ladi Kwali, Clara Ugbodaga-Ngu, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Uche Okeke and Obiora Udechukwu.
For those seeking a local comparison, there are meaningful parallels with the work of Gerard Sekoto, widely regarded as the leading figure in Black South African modernism (who, incidentally, exhibited at the 1948 South African Art Exhibition at the Tate — the only Black artist selected).
Fans of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie may also also recognise some of the settings and themes that echo her acclaimed historical novels (Half a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus).
Attending with my London-based Nigerian friend, Derin Ajayi, I watched her move through the exhibition. “I was beaming with pride as I moved from one room to another. It fills one with immense awe to view the tremendous artistry and excellence on display from every piece. Such an homage to a diverse range of talent. A most moving exhibition.” As a son of the continent, many of the themes resonated with me too: the challenges and joys of modern nation-building with an emerging post-colonial blueprint.
The exhibition concludes with a walk through its accompanying shop, where, like me, you’ll likely leave with a memento. The impressive Nigerian Modernism: Art and Independence, curated by Osei Bonsu, gathers multiple voices and serves as both an informative guide and a handsome coffee-table book.
The Tate also offers a service allowing visitors to purchase prints from the exhibition in various sizes, with framing options. Suffice to say, my order of a framed A1 print of Ana Mmuo’s vibrant Land of the Dead will hang proudly alongside my grand piano, as a reminder of the exhibition — and more poignantly, of Africa’s rich artistic heritage, undoubtedly deserving of a world stage.
Tickets cost £18. The exhibition runs until 10 May 2026 and is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, and until 21:00 every Friday and Saturday. Book online at tate.org.uk
