1-54 London, the flagship edition of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, is returning to the Somerset House for its 12th consecutive year. The event, designed to promote art from Africa and its diaspora, will be held from 10 to 13 October and will coincide with Frieze London 2024.
Billed as the most expansive 1-54 London fair yet, the event will feature over 60 galleries, including Gallery 1957 (Accra, Ghana), Verve Gallery (São Paulo, Brazil), Amasaka Gallery (Masaka, Uganda), Osart Gallery (Milan, Italy), The Art Pantheon Gallery (Lagos, Nigeria), Cynthia Corbett Gallery (London, UK), Galerie Voss (Düsseldorf, Germany), House of Beau Gallery (Rabat, Morocco), Galerie REVEL (Bordeaux, France) and Pearl Lam Galleries (Hong Kong, China.)
‘This year’s fair will unite artists from more countries than ever before, with a significant portion new to the London edition,’ says founding director Touria El Glaoui. ‘We are excited to be emphasising artists from Morocco, Ghana and Brazil. The diversity and richness of the artworks on display reflect the dynamic and evolving nature of contemporary African art, and we are thrilled to be able to provide a platform that celebrates the talents of both established and emerging artists.’
More than 160 artists will present their work in various mediums, including painting, mixed media, photography, installation, and sculpture. Here are our highlights to look out for.
1-54 London 2024: what to see at the Contemporary African Art Fair
Esther Mahlangu
Esther Mahlangu, Untitled, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 120 x 180cm
(Image credit: Courtesy of The Melrose Gallery)
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.
Rita Mawuena Benissan
Rita Mawuena Benissan
Rita Mawuena Benissan, Enter as One, 2024, tapestry embroidering on velvet, 116.8 x 190.5cm
(Image credit: Courtesy of Gallery 1957)
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 will next be 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 will represent Benissan at 1-54 London.
Dola Posh
Dola Posh, Mother’s Day ‘Year 3’, 2023, Hahnemühle bamboo-fibre papers, 74 x 64 cm, Edition of 2
(Image credit: Courtesy of Artist and Cynthia Corbett Gallery)
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.
Rugiyatou Jallow
Rugiyatou Jallow, Floating in Time, 2023, acrylic, oil and thread on canvas, 152.4 x 121.9
(Image credit: Courtesy of the artist and Albertz Benda)
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.
Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga
Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, Envahissement 2, 2024, oil and acrylic on canvas, 199 x 188cm
(Image credit: © Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga. Courtesy the Artist and October Gallery, London)
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 is in London from 10-13 October 2024