In addition to walls lined with a wide range of art across multiple mediums, there was also special installations, headlined by Mónica de Miranda’s courtyard installations, Earthworks, an ecological project accompanied by a ‘’rodolex’’ of live performances.
From acrylic and charcoal paintings to hair sculptures and special installations, 1-54 London was curated for collectors, art enthusiasts and visitors alike.
Morocco) — titled “Illuminate the Light” (2023).
This large-scale, immersive piece comprised a sequence of seven, angular, mirror-lined Corten steel pods – all lit from below with yellow-toned spotlights, and enveloped in a light mist circulating around the apertures. Additionally, each geometric casing housed a small bench for visitors to sit on and contemplate the setting, whilst also gazing at the beautiful, 18th century Georgian architecture of Somerset House reflected off the mirrored surfaces.
From a distance these metallic pods had the appearance of seeds, randomly distributed over the paving slabs — a placement and shaping that matched the artist’s intention, having been inspired to create and position the structures in this way after observing the natural variation of jewel-like pomegranate seeds. The explanatory literature provided by MCC Gallery interpreted the sculptural assemblage as follows:
“This monumental installation consists of seven Corten geometric sculptures inspired by the seeds of a pomegranate that vary in shape, to represent the diversity of the African continent. At dusk, the sculptures transform into luminous installations … reinforcing [the artist’s] core philosophy that “out of darkness, light emerges.“-Marie Moignard (MCC Gallery, Marrakech)
At London’s Somerset House this past weekend, dozens of artist from Africa and across diaspora exhibited their works at this year’s London edition of the 1-54 CONTEMPORARY African Art Fair. The expansive fair features 44 galleries, including a handful like O’DA (Lagos), TINTERA (Cairo), OH Gallery (Dakar) making their debuts at 1-54 London
Habib Hajallie’s The Collector and the Artist (2024) was among the standout works at 1-54 London.
London 1-54 Contemporary Art Fair is an artistic compelling narrative which focuses on the artistic narrative showcasing wide range of contemporary art from Africa and it’s diaspora. The fair acted as a hub for cross-cultural exchange, featuring diverse artists, galleries, and discussions on themes like identity, history, and socio-political issues, turning the event into a significant story about African art on the global stage.
This year’s London 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair featured 44 galleries exhibiting the work of dozens of artists from Africa and the diaspora.
Key elements of the “artistic story”
- Diverse Exhibitors and Artists: The fair featured over 50 international exhibitors from 13 countries, with a strong representation of galleries based in Africa, such as O’DA from Lagos and OH Gallery from Dakar. More than 100 artists working across various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and photography, were presented.
- Focus on Gender and Identity: This edition placed a particular emphasis on themes of gender, power, and identity within African and diasporic contexts. Special projects, many led by women artists, explored the evolving role of femininity in contemporary society.
- Special Projects and Installations: Beyond the gallery booths, the fair featured several curatorial projects and installations. A major highlight was Mónica de Miranda’s monumental courtyard installation, Earthworks, an ecological project in collaboration with Amazigh women weavers that transformed the Somerset House courtyard into a participatory botanical space.
- Celebrating Heritage and Modernism: The fair effectively bridged the gap between modern and contemporary practices, showcasing established artists like Ibrahim El Salahi and Esther Mahlangu alongside emerging talents. This dialogue emphasized the enduring importance of modern African masters and rooted contemporary works within local histories.
- Critical Conversations: The fair hosted a robust program of talks and panel discussions (FORUM) that tackled pressing topics such as decolonizing art spaces, gender representation, and the role of contemporary African art in shaping global narratives.
- New Partnerships: A significant development was the new partnership with Afreximbank (the pan-African multilateral financial institution), which underscores the growing importance of the creative industry within African economies.
Larissa de Souza’s Primeiras Palavras (2024) typified the contemporary work on view.
The London 1-54 fair, founded by Touria El Glaoui, has solidified its reputation as a vital platform for showcasing African and African diasporic artists, ensuring they are part of the global art world narrative.
“Asé” (2021) by the Brazilian duo MAR+VIN. Pigment inkjet on fine art Canson Photographic Baryta, glossy II, 100 x 80 cm.
Woven textile installation by Ghanaian artist Theresah Ankomah, displayed at 1-54 hanging from the rotunda of Somerset House’s Nelson Staircase.
Surrealist artwork by Sudanese painter and filmmaker Salah Elmur (b.1966, Khartoum), from the series “Central Electricity and Water Administration,” displayed at 1-54 London.
- Showcasing diversity: The fair featured a wide array of artists and art forms, from established to emerging talents, reflecting the depth and breadth of African artistic expression. The name itself, “1-54,” represents the 54 countries of Africa, signifying this vast cultural landscape.
- Fostering dialogue: It was more than just a marketplace; it provided a platform for critical conversations through talks and exhibitions. These discussions addressed pressing topics such as identity, colonialism, migration, and history.
- Global platform: The fair positioned African contemporary art as integral to the global art world, attracting international galleries, collectors, and institutions, thereby providing a crucial platform for artists to gain visibility.
- Vibrant and dynamic atmosphere: The event was described as a “vibrant visual storytelling” experience, with a palpable sense of energy as it transformed Somerset House into a hub of creativity.
- Specific examples: The event included artists like Wendimagegn Belete, who recontextualized historical Ethiopian images, and Ayoola Gbolahan, Jill Berelowitz, and Victor Sonoiki, who explored themes of love, heritage, and environmental connection.
NOW TO THE MAIN
Here are Top Exhilarating Highlights of the 2025 1-54 LONDON Art Exhibition that Engulfed us and caught our eyes;
1) ‘Laetitia Ky’ delivers Potent Social commentary with Hair Sculpting
For Ivorian artist Latetia Ky, the myriads of ways Black women style their hair is inspiring, particularly as a symbol of individuality and autonomy. Ky’s towering hair sculptures, captured in stroking photos, often incorporates feminist motifs, shirking conservative norms, and subverting anti–black rhetoric often spewed regarding African hair textures. Her Social commentary was part of LIS10 Gallery exhibition, which also featured works by the Iconic South-African artist Esther Mahlangu.
2) The “SPIRITUAL OVERTONES” in ‘Kofi Agorsor’s Sculptures’
Veteran multi-faceted artist Kofi Agorsor defies easy categorization. The sculptural bodies he crafts are as a results of years of training across ritual and post-colonial environments, indebted to ancestral spirituality,while also influenced by modern techniquesin his rigorous process. His sculptural installations at this year’s fair are integral to London and Accra Based Gallery 1957’s explorations of the transformations of histories and traditionsas the world’s turns more contemporary.
3) Afeez Onakoya’s “INTERTWINE BODIES”
In the Paintings exhibited by Afeez Onakoya, human bodies are symbolically “braided together”, an intertwining that simultaneously highlights and deepens the bonds between us. The Lagos-Based Nigeria artist has shown his adeptness in channeling deep reflections of human emotions in his previous, and the same candor applies to his charcoal and acrylic paintings at 1-54 London, from sexual encounters to fight scenes.
4) Serwan Baran Translates “Conflicts in Vivid Colours and Emotions”
Partly based in Cairo, Egypt, Iraqi-fine artist Serwan Baran uses his work to interrogate the political turmoil in the Middle East and his psychological effects. His acrylic paintings in London continued his distinct style, merging colorful realism with abstract tones. A look at his paintings at the fair, emphasizes a cohesive throughline, with emotional weight of conflict and survival given an immersive outlet.
5) Justin Dingwall’ s Surreal Portrayal of “Black Beauty”
South-African fine artist Justin Dingwall has gained recognition over the years for his “exploratory portraits” that challenge beauty standards within the context of Black and African attitudes. Dingwall was one of Cape Town-Based gallery Eclectica Contemporary’ s two artists on display at 1-54 London, and his series of mixed photographs continued his explorations of the elemental and infinite beauty of Blackness, making for a surreal and captivating viewing experience.
A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK INTO THE PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF 1-54 LONDON CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR
Luminaries of the Past and the Present
In addition to the many new artworks on display throughout the fair, an important and unchanging aspect of 1-54 London was the way the event’s founder and director Touria El Glaoui has always encouraged participating gallerists and project curators to juxtapose artworks by long-established creative luminaries alongside very recently produced pieces by early-career artists within the exhibition booths.
This combining of modern and contemporary works provided opportunities to celebrate the oeuvres of a number of pioneering African artists, whose trailblazing endeavors in the 20th century helped to shine a much-needed spotlight on the breadth and quality of hitherto under-appreciated visual arts excellence that has been created for generations. It is only now, in the most recent decades of the 21st century that the Western-dominated art world is taking closer notice and giving due attention to contemporary visual art from continental Africa and the African diaspora.
Some of the most notable booths and room displays that really stood out during my visit on October 13th included: Vigo Gallery’s presentation of drawings and paintings by internationally renowned Sudanese Modernist Ibrahim El-Salahi (b. 1930, Omdurmán); iconic masks by the Beninese sculptor Romuald Hazoumè (b. 1962), shown by October Gallery; paintings by Mozambiquan modernist Malangatana Ngwenya (1936-2011) shown by Richard Saltoun Gallery; and a sublime ‘offrande’ wall-hanging created by the celebrated Malian textile sculptor Abdoulaye Konaté (b. 1953, Dire), featuring graduated shades of green, teal, aquamarine and sky blue woven and dyed, embroidered fabrics.
Highlights from the Galleries
My ‘top five’ highlights in this year’s fair were the artists’ portfolios presented by 193 Gallery (Paris, France), Circle Art Agency (Nairobi, Kenya), Affinity (Lagos, Nigeria), Sakhile&Me (Frankfurt, Germany), and Portas Vilaseca Galeria (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).
Pascal Konan (193 Gallery)
Souad Abdelrassoul (Circle Art Gallery)
Souad Abdelrassoul, Ph.D, is an Egyptian artist and arts scholar based in Cairo. Her creative practice spans a range of media — including drawing, painting, sculpture, and graphic design. As illustrated above in her painting “Only Survival” (2022), Souad takes a surrealist approach to representing both mythical and realist imagery about womanhood and motherhood, using recurring motifs such as tree-like, vegetal structures and translucent-effect frames within her visual narratives to symbolise and pose questions about the roles women traditionally and currently hold within patriarchal societies, as well as the aspirations of modern women striving to transform their life experiences and future outcomes for the better.
Adelaide Damoah (Sakhile&Me)
Sakhile & Me’s gallery presentation included a sublime triptych by British (Ghanaian heritage) artist Adelaide Damoah, titled “Moon cycle, period, full moon. This week, I have simultaneously experienced intense pleasure and excruciating pain” (2021), from her series “Radical Joy.” This work — made using acrylic-based spray paint on three hinged wooden boards — centered the artist’s naked body. Every aspect of her physical form was represented in varying shades of brown, red, pink, yellow and ochre.
The three panels were hung above eye level as you walked into Room W03 along the West Wing — with a white curtain draped below to give the semblance of an ecclesiastical altar that viewers approached with a sense of awe and reverence out of admiration for the brilliant luminosity and dynamism of the shimmering, corporeal contours presented above. My overall impression was fascination about the way the artist simultaneously captured the power and complexity, as well as the fragility and vulnerability, of the human body.
Gustavo Nazareno (Portas Vilaseca Galeria)
Anne Adams (Affinity Art Gallery)
It was a privilege to visit the Affinity booth at 1-54 and spend time in conversation with the exceptionally talented USA-based Nigerian ceramicist Anne Adams. Earlier in 2023 Anne was the recipient of the prestigious Simone Leigh Zenobia Award, and also recently participated in the high-profile group exhibition, “Clay Holds Water, Water Holds Memory” at the Contemporary Arts Center, in Cincinnati Ohio, USA. When discussing her work she spoke with authority and passion about the many ways in which her creative and critical practice as a fine artist and arts scholar is informed and influenced by issues of restitution and the broader art-political and social justice discourses on decolonisation and decoloniality.
In addition to the five ceramics presented from Anne Adams’ portfolio of work, Affinity Art Gallery also showcased a series of beautiful figurative paintings by Lagos-based fine artist Damilola Onosowobo too.
Review of the 11th London edition of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Somerset House, 2023
Damilola Onosowobo, Chewing on a straw, 2023
Special Projects
This year’s special projects featured work by artists and collectives from six nations across the continent and diasporans based in the West, specifically:
- Ghana’s Nubuke Foundation, presented at 1-54 London by gallerist Odile Tevie (one of the Foundation’s co-directors). Nubuke Foundation is currently collaborating with visual artist Alice Raymond on a woven textile art project that focuses on the production and sale of contemporary textiles and other woven designs by women artists based in northern Ghana.
- The African Art Hub (TAAH) – featuring woven installations by Accra-based, Ghanaian textile sculptor Theresah Ankomah
- Morocco’s Montresso Art Foundation
- Nigeria’s “The Evil Genius” music and art project, curated as a sound-and-image experience by Afrobeats star Mr Eazi
- Nigerian-British artist Chidi Nwaubani’s digital art restitution project, “LOOTY عودة راشد Return Rashid!” (2023) XR/AR 3D installation, developed in collaboration with Looty co-founder Ahmed Abokor, Egyptian archaeologist Professor Monica Hana and other arts activists and scholars in the Looty Collective. Using cutting-edge LiDAR technology, detailed scans of the Rosetta Stone (Hajar Rashid) were captured in situ at the British Museum during an intervention that the project collaborators termed a “Digital Heist.” These images were then used to simulate a “digital repatriation” of the artwork to its geo-located site of origin in the town of Rashid in Egypt, drawing on a dataset of art-historical and art-political interpretation narratives, and archeological research data accessible to the public via a QR-coded digital art simulation/presentation.
- South Africa’s Spier Arts Trust and Academy
- Zimbabwe’s “artHARARE” project — showcasing a selection of contemporary paintings, collage-based pieces and other mixed-media works by Zimbabwean-born artists Franklin Dzingai, Wilfred Timire, Option Dzikamai Nyahunzvi, Prudence Chimutuwah, Mostaff Muchawaya and artist-curator Richard Mudariki
The images shown above feature visitors at 1-54 London viewing the special digital art project, “LOOTY عودة راشد Return Rashid!” (2023) XR/AR 3D installation, accessed via their smart phones. This digital art simulation was created by Nigerian-British artist Chidi Nwaubani, working in collaboration with Looty co-founder Ahmed Abokor (pictured, above), and the archaeologist and Egyptologist Professor Monica Hana
Concluding reflections
The 11th edition of 1-54 London was its most inspiring fair yet, particularly because more than a third of the gallerists presenting in 2023 were inaugural contributors, collectively introducing a significant number of early career artists from continental Africa to UK-based art audiences and international visiting publics for the first time.
“Visionary I” (2021), by Zimbabwean artist Prudence Chimutuwah. Acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 64 x 88 cm.
A Look back at 1-54 London 2024: what to see at the Contemporary African Art Fair
First-time exhibitors make their mark at 1-54 London 2024
Alimi Adewale Poise & Presence, 2024Pearl Lam Galleries
Alimi Adewale Earthly Forms Series IV, 2024 Pearl Lam Galleries
Freya Bramble-Carter Unicorn , 2024Cynthia Corbett Gallery
Returning galleries bring new discoveries to 1-54 London 2024
Januario Jano Trouxa: Victoria, 2021MOVART
Januario Jano Untitled (M008), 2021MOVART
Megan Gabrielle Harris Paraiso , 2024OOA Gallery
Megan Gabrielle Harris Stargazer, 2023OOA GALLERY
Kofi Perry Discovering the Great Mirror , 2024DADA Gallery
Esther Mahlangu
At age ten, Esther Mahlangu started her art journey under the tutelage of her mother and grandmother, learning the craft of Ndebele mural painting. In 1991, she made history as the first woman and African to design a BMW Art Car (making her part of a canon that includes Cao Fei and Jeff Koons). The octogenarian South African artist’s acrylic paintings, usually on canvas, show distinct, colourful geometric patterns referencing her Ndebele heritage and murals. Johannesburg-based The Melrose Gallery will represent her at the fair.
Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga
Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga’s paintings, presented by October Gallery, explore the aftermath of Belgium’s colonialisation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, focusing on the country’s economic, political, and social identity.
The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair was held is in London from 10-13 October 2024
Rugiyatou Jallow
Rugiyatou Jallow was born to Gambian and Swedish parents, and like many mixed-race people, she felt like she didn’t fully fit in with either side of her family. This feeling shows up in her acrylic, oil, and thread on canvas paintings that explore identity and belonging as a mixed-race woman. Jallow is represented at the fair by New York- and Los Angeles-based gallery Albertz Benda.
Dola Posh
Drawing from personal experiences, UK-based Nigerian photographer Dola Posh tells stories of mothers by exploring the loss of self-identity and postpartum depression, while projecting strength and vulnerability through her work. The artist is represented here by London-based Cynthia Corbett Gallery.
Rita Mawuena Benissan
Ghanaian-American artist Rita Mawuena Benissan explores Ghanaian culture, identity, and history by embroidering on velvet and reimagining royal umbrellas. Her work has previously been shown at the 2024 Frieze Seoul, 2024 1-54 Marrakesh, and 2022 Dakar Biennale. It was next displayed in a solo show at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in November 2024 and then at the Sharjah Biennial 16 in February 2025. Accra- and London-based Gallery 1957 represented Benissan at 1-54 London.
For this reason, 1-54 at Somerset House is always one of my ‘must see’ events every October, and I look forward with keen anticipation to browsing future editions, both in person and online (in London, New York and Marrakech) throughout 2024, and beyond!
