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In its third edition, Art Across Borders focused on emerging voices within the African art community. This year’s programme featured six dynamic artists under the age of 50, each representative of the innovative spirit that defines contemporary African art. In partnership with Afreximbank, Art Across Borders proudly presented a diverse selection of artists whose work reflects the ever-evolving discourse around art, culture and the borders that shape our world.

This presentation featured Kwadwo Asiedu (Ghana), Wilfried Mbida (Cameroon), Mona Taha (Uganda), Gareth Nyandoro (Zimbabwe), Mahmoud Talaat (Egypt) and Nicolas Derne (Martinique).

An exhibition and network in one, Art Across Borders 3.0 was designed to foster connections, encourage dialogue and celebrate the vibrancy of the African art scene. Through the voices of these six talented artists, we sparked conversations, challenged perceptions and envisioned a future where the borders that divide us are reshaped by the free flow of creativity and collaboration..


FEATURING



MAHMOUD TALAAT

Egypt


Mahmoud Talaat is an Egyptian artist and photographer who was born in 1996 in Cairo. He trained at the Department of Painting at Helwan University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, graduating in 2020. Mahmoud draws inspiration from his daily experiences, and uses a combination of photography and painting to incorporate multiple dimensions and layers into single works of conceptual art that explore his roots and recollections of people and places who are or were essential to his life. The results are often characterised by ambiguity, and have been presented at various galleries and fairs including Cairo Photo Week (2021) and the Ubuntu Art Gallery (2021).


Renovation, 2023, 155 x 155 cm


NICOLAS DERNÉ

Martinique


Nicolas Derné (b. 1980) is a self-taught photographer from Martinique. He embarked on his photographic journey in 2006, three years after graduating in information technology engineering. Derné’s artistic approach is based on the use of photographic print, both as an imprint of ongoing creations and as material for new ones. There is a dreamlike ambiguity to the resulting works, which often combine poetic and political themes and view fragments of reality through the prism of time and memory, as demonstrated by his study of Caribbean carnivals. His work is represented in national collections (CNAP) and several private ones (Dominican Republic, Dubai, Nigeria, France).


Overflow, 2018, video 9"22min


WILFRIED MBIDA

Cameroon


MBIDA Madeleine Wilfried is a Douala-based visual artist with a master’s degree in Visual Arts and Art History and a major in painting. She honed her skills alongside artists such as Hervé Youmbi and Jean Jacques Kante, and her work often explores ideas of silence and absence through portrayals of domestic settings that capture and immortalise suspended moments of isolation and humanity, inviting viewers on a nostalgic journey through time and space. Her solo exhibitions include Kédé Ndap, À l'intérieur du silence, Les Arts du Soleil, Geneva (2022), and she was chosen to represent Cameroon at the 5th Casablanca Biennale (2022–2023).


Mémé, 2023, 46 x 115 cm


KWADWO ASEIDU

Ghana


Kwadwo Asiedu depicts highly impressionistic landscapes with a visual language of rich, textured layers and pulsating light and colour. Asiedu examines the poetic and mysterious qualities of the natural world, channelling the idyllic to draw attention to humanity’s corrosive tendencies. This focus, however, is anything but utopic. Ebb of Agou, for example, recalls the geological marvel of the Mount of Agou, which is said to have stood as a symbol and source of refuge from invading aggressors. The works for ART X Lagos highlight the spiritual and material interdependence of humans and their environment and serve as a plea to preserve what’s left of it.


Addae, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 152 x 101 cm


MONA TAHA

Uganda


Mona Taha was born in Uganda to an Egyptian father and Rwandan mother. A self-taught artist, she works in a wide range of media, including charcoal, ink and collage, and is drawn to themes that revolve around her personal introspection and struggles as a mother, daughter and woman from a Muslim background. Her works thus explore issues of gender, femininity, self-discovery, self-awareness and social identity. Mona has participated in Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Paris, and her recent exhibitions include Echo (Jenkins Johnson Projects NYC, 2022) and Shapes of Water (Afriart Gallery, 2023).


Pearl Primus; The Blues, 2023, Mixed Media on Paper, 145x115 cm


GARETH NYANDORO

Zimbabwe


Gareth Nyandoro (b. 1985, Zimbabwe) is noted for large-scale works on paper that often spill out of their two-dimensional format into installations that include scrap paper and objects found in the markets of Harare, where he lives and works. His chief source of inspiration is the landscape of his city and the daily life of its residents, including within the larger cultural context of Zimbabwe. Drawing on his training as a printmaker, Nyandoro developed a technique he calls “Kucheka cheka”, named after the Shona verb cheka, which means “to cut”. At ART X Lagos, he will present illustrative examples of the resulting work.


Superman like Ndunge, 2020, Paper on Canvas, 171 x 207 cm 



Art Across Borders is supported by Afreximbank, a Pan-African development institution that seeks to foster, develop and encourage intra-African exchange, with the visual arts as a key anchor of its mission for the continent’s creative and culture industries.



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PREVIOUS EDITION OF
Art across borders




“Cultural centers, discrete regions and territories, do not exist prior to contacts, but are sustained through them, appropriating and disciplining the restless movement of people and things.” – Jonathan Friedman

We are pleased to present the second season of Art Across Borders, in partnership with Afreximbank. Expanded to include video essays from all 5 regions of the continent, alongside a physical presentation at ART X Lagos, Art Across Borders returns with the curated theme "What Shall We Name These Rivers?" which taps into the potential for the social, economic and political advancement of “community” through the free flow and fluidity of a body (of water, people, fauna, and ideas).

This special presentation brings together - Monica de Miranda  (Angola, Central Africa); Thierry Oussou  (Benin Republic, West Africa); Sungi Mlengeya (Tanzania, East Africa); Lulama Wolf (South Africa); and Ibrahim Khatab (Egypt, North Africa).

Looking at and away from the idea of borders, African rivers provides a curatorial leitmotif to the artists’ practices, with their featured work opening a discourse on translocality, movement and exchange.

To the detriment of its people, African rivers have been instrumentalized to seed division and establish boundaries. These rivers have shaped present ideological and political structures that continue to hinder the free flow of many Africans, leaving them powerless. The potential for social, economic and political advancement of “community” through the free flow and fluidity of a body (of water, people, fauna, ideas) cannot be underestimated.

How can Africans therefore reclaim ownership of their rivers? Indeed, what subsequent implications would that have on redrawing the recently imagined state borders that divide West, East, South, North and Central Africa? Borders largely influenced by the natural flows of their rivers?

Yet, as African communities face these socio political challenges, an even larger ecological crisis exacerbated by climate change is now more present than before. Flooding, lead poisoning, famine, desertification and a myriad of environmental challenges have already killed several hundreds and displaced millions of Africa, with unquantifiable loss in capital. Perhaps it is in the rivers that answers to these challenges may be found.



FEATURING



SUNGI MLENGEYA

Tanzania, East Africa



Born in 1991, Sungi Mlengeya is a painter whose figurative portraiture commemorates the women who surround her. She shows her subjects and audience the power they possess by capturing them in an indomitable light and suspending them in infinite spaces. Her main theme at ART X Lagos 2022 is choice, which she believes provides small instances of comfort knowing there always is alternative action, even in situations that seem dire. Three large paintings, depicting women's bodies branching out into different paths, will highlight the Mlengeya Concept of Choice.


Kushoto kulia, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 150 x 140cm


LULAMA WOLF

South Africa


Lulama Wolf is a visual artist living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa. She stands at the intersection of Neo-Expressionism and Modern African Art, interrogating pre-colonial African experience. Her smearing, scraping and deep pigment techniques echo those used in vernacular architecture.
History and the proof of life are the core concepts of her work. Where life in black spirituality has been denied, she presents a counternarrative by creating two-dimensional paintings to embody the simplicity and deep spiritual power of the native eye. Her motivation is both tender and protective of her imaginary world. She creates a photographic and graphic experience that morphs and shapeshifts into a higher dimensional plane.


Is this still life  III (it stays on its path and stays relentless), 2022, Acrylic and sand on canvas, 120 x 150 cm


MÓNICA DE MIRANDA

Angola, Central Africa


Mónica de Miranda is a Portuguese artist of Angolan origin who lives and works between Lisbon and Luanda. She studied Visual Arts and Sculpture at Camberwell College of Arts in London and earned a PhD in Artistic Studies from Middlesex University, London. Her work is based on themes of urban archaeology and affective geographies. She works with drawing, installation, photography, film, video and sound. She has been nominated for the Novo Photo Banco Prize, exhibiting as one of the finalists at the Berardo Collection Museum. Her solo exhibitions include Geografia Dormente at the Galeria Municipal de Arte in Almada, Portugal and Panorama at the Banco Economico in Luanda. Miranda’s work is represented in several collections, including Centro Cultural de Lagos and the Photographic Archive of Lisbon.


Path to the stars, video still


IBRAHIM KHATAB

Egypt, North Africa


Ibrahim Khatab was born in Cairo and works as a co-teacher at Cairo University. His early experience making art that appeared on the streets of Cairo ignited his passion for Arabic calligraphy and continues to influence his work. Since 2007, Khatab’s work has frequently been presented in group shows and solo exhibitions from Sweden to South Africa to Oman. He has regularly participated in the annual Youth Salon in Egypt and has led many workshops at the Visual Arts Centre, Oman; the Fine Arts Association, Doha and the Sharjah Children Biennale. He has been awarded various prizes for his work. In 2018, he obtained a PhD from Cairo University.


The Voice of Kairo II, 2021, Mixed media on wooden canvas, 120 x 90cm


THIERRY OUSSOU

Benin Republic, West Africa


Thierry Oussou was born in 1988 in Allada, Benin, where he founded the art studio Yè; he continues to give workshops on arts and visual culture in schools and cultural institutions across Benin. He has participated in residencies at the Rijksakademie, Amsterdam (2015), and Dokoutin, Brussels (2014). Thierry exhibited at the Dakar Biennale in 2014, at the Berlin Biennial in 2018 and at the 2019 Brazil Biennial. In his practice Oussou deals with questions about authenticity, history, heritage and visibility. Through his use of various media including painting, sculpture and video, he brings reflection to this moment, crafting probing yet poetic commentaries on the threads that link the past and the future.

 



CURATOR


BAYO HASSAN BELLO


Bayo Hassan Bello is a research-based artist, writer and curator. He is inspired by local ephemera and indigenous aesthetics in his practice. His works investigate and seek to understand knowledge systems and cultural heritage. His current research is centered on African textiles and material culture which he explores through artist books, curated projects, experimental films and installations. He is a recipient of the UAE Government program for exceptional creatives, the Tony Elumelu Foundation and an inaugural member of the Jameel Arts Center Youth Assembly. In 2016 Bayo founded AJALA, a culture production platform focused on creating social impact for artists and creative communities in the Global South.



We are pleased to present a special project, Art Across Borders - a short film series highlighting impactful figures in the African art scene. Conceived as a showcase for meaningful voices rising across the continent, the series aims to inspire the emergence of new initiatives within our burgeoning creative ecosystem.

For the first season of Art Across Borders, filmed with the support of Afreximbank, we will be featuring four exciting artists within the African contemporary art scene: Hassan Hajjaj (Morocco), Mary Sibande (South Africa), Boniface Maina (Kenya), and Nengi Omuku (Nigeria).


FEATURING



NENGI OMUKU

Nigeria


In the first episode we meet Nengi Omuku in her studio in Lagos, Nigeria. Omuku shares insights on how she blends classic western painting techniques with traditional African materials, and how she uses art as a powerful tool to tackle mental health challenges.

Through an extremely versatile and organic body of work, Nengi Omuku explores her relationship with the body, conceived as the sensitive key that allows her to regain ownership over her identity, emotions and power. Omuku obtained both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Slade School of Fine Art in the United Kingdom.

In 2018 she was commissioned by the Arts Council England to paint a mural within an intensive care psychiatric facility in London. Realising the positive impact her art had on the patients’ wellbeing, she later founded The Art of Healing (TAOH), an organisation aimed at supporting people in challenging circumstances to heal, using art as therapy.

Her works have been collected by private and public international collections including the HSBC Art Collection, the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection and the Dawn Art Collection.


VIVA (2019) BY NENGI OMUKU


HASSAN HAJJAJ

Morocco


For the second episode of Art Across Borders, we met Hassan Hajjaj at Jajjah - his concept store in Marrakesh which houses an exhibition space, a Moroccan tearoom, and a street food-inspired restaurant. He spoke about how the space is a melting pot for multidisciplinary artists, and how his work blends together traditional elements from his North African culture with pop references from the Western world.

In 2011, Hajjaj launched Riad Yiad, an artist residency and events space in Marrakech, aimed at bringing together a diverse community of art enthusiasts to celebrate culture in its multiple dimensions. Today, the project has become an iconic venue that actively contributes to the dynamism of Morocco’s creative scene. He also launched his second project in the city Jajjah in 2021.

Hajjaj’s works are part of some of the world’s most important collections, including the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL), the Brooklyn Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and The British Museum.


DIOR, FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHY BY ©HASSANHAJJAJ, 2013/1433 COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND FOTOGRAFISKA NEW YORK


MARY SIBANDE

South Africa


In her work, Mary Sibande explores the concepts of family and heritage to offer a reinterpretation of her own family’s history, which radically challenges the black exploitative narrative inherited from South-Africa’s apartheid era. Her stunning photographs and sculptures provide vibrant metaphors of black women’s power, and deconstruct the traditional stereotypes associated with them.ince 2016, she has actively supported ActionAid South Africa and the Young Urban Women Programme’s fundraising campaigns to foster the development of art education programmes targeting young girls from the township communities.

Since 2016, she has actively supported ActionAid South Africa and the Young Urban Women Programme’s fundraising campaigns to foster the development of art education programmes targeting young girls from the township communities.

Over the course of her artistic career, Sibande represented South Africa at the 54th Venice Biennale (2011), and received numerous awards including the prestigious Smithsonian National Museum of African Arts Award, and the Standard Bank Young Artist Award in the Visual Arts category.


TURN, TURN, TURN, TURN (2019) BY MARY SIBANDE


BONIFACE MAINA

Kenya


Inspired by the mundane encounters of his daily life, Boniface Maina projects a highly personal style on his mysterious surrealist canvases.

In 2013, the Nairobi-based artist co-founded Brush Tu Collective, a collaborative studio space aimed at fostering collaborations within the Kenyan artistic scene.

His works have been presented in Transitions at Nairobi Gallery (2017), and in Waiting, Watching and Wishing at Circle Art Gallery (2020), another solo exhibition held in the Kenyan capital. Maina has also participated in group shows in Johannesburg, Paris, Dubai and Venice.

MESSENGERS CONFERENCE (2021) BY BONIFACE MAINA


Art Across Borders is supported by Afreximbank, a Pan-African development institution that seeks to foster, develop and encourage intra-African exchange, with the visual arts as a key anchor of its mission for the continent’s creative and culture industries.

Committed to transforming Africa, Afreximbank launched the biannual Intra-African Trade Fair, IATF, as a unique event to bring together the business community and policy stakeholders, marking an important step towards sustainably addressing the gap in trade on the continent.

Learn more here.