Tate Modern presents the first UK exhibition dedicated to the development of modern art in Nigeria.

The exhibition brings together more than 250 works by over 50 artists, including Ben Enwonwu and El Anatsui, from collections across Africa, Europe, and the United States.

Uzo Egonu, Women in Grief 1968, © The estate of Uzo Egonu, Tate

Spanning the period from colonial rule to independence and beyond, Nigerian Modernism celebrates an international network of artists who merged African and European traditions, creating a unique artistic legacy.

In the 1940s, under British-controlled education, many Nigerian artists trained in the United Kingdom, balancing Western influences with Indigenous identities. Aina Onabolu pioneered modern portraiture, Akinola Lasekan depicted Yoruba myths, while Ben Enwonwu and Ladi Kwali combined European training with local traditions, developing new visions of African culture.

Nigeria’s independence in 1960 inspired an artistic revival. The Zaria Arts Society — including Uche Okeke, Demas Nwoko, Yusuf Grillo and others — promoted the concept of Natural Synthesis, blending Indigenous forms with modern expression. Lagos became a vibrant cultural hub, with modernist architecture, public art and Highlife music, while in Ibadan the Mbari Club, founded by Ulli Beier, brought together artists and writers such as Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka, linked to the influential Pan-African journal Black Orpheus.

Nike Davies-Okundaye, Animal World 1968Kavita Chellaram. Image courtesy of kó, Lagos © Nike Davies Okundaye

During the same period, new movements emerged that rediscovered Yoruba spirituality. Austrian-born Susanne Wenger founded the New Sacred Art Movement and led the restoration of the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. In parallel, the Oshogbo Art School encouraged experimentation among artists like Nike Davies-Okundaye and Twins Seven Seven, who explored local identity and mythology through their work.

The Nigerian Civil War in 1967 disrupted the post-independence optimism, leading many artists to reflect on national unity. The uli motifs of the Igbo tradition re-emerged, reinterpreted by Uche Okeke and members of the Nsukka Art School, including Obiora Udechukwu and Ndidi Dike, who transformed them into a modernist visual language and a symbol of resilience.

Bruce Onobrakpeya, The Last Supper 1981 © reserved. Tate

The exhibition concludes with Uzo Egonu, whose Stateless People series (1980) reflects on Nigerian diasporic identity and the dialogue between cultural belonging and artistic freedom.

Tate Modern Bankside London SE1 9TG

Date 8 ottobre 2025 – 10 maggio 2026