This autumn, Tate Modern will stage the first UK exhibition to trace the development of modern art in Nigeria. Spanning a period from indirect colonial rule to national independence and beyond, Nigerian Modernism will celebrate an international network of artists who combined African and European traditions, creating a vibrant artistic legacy. The exhibition will present the work of over 50 artists across 50 years, from Ben Enwonwu to El Anatsui. They each responded to Nigeria’s evolving political and social landscape by challenging assumptions and imagining new futures, reclaiming Indigenous traditions to create a new African vision of Modernism. Featuring more than 250 works, including painting, sculpture, textile, ceramics and works on paper from institutions and private collections across Africa, Europe and the US, it offers a rare opportunity to encounter the creative forces who revolutionised modern art in Nigeria.
Tate Modern
Nigerian Modernism
9 October 2025 – 11 May 2026
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- Jimo Akolo Fulani, Horsemen, 1962
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- Obiora Udechukwu, Our Journey,1993
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- Uzo Egonu, Women in Grief, 1968
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- Uzo Egonu, Northern Nigerian Landscape, 1964
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- Bruce Onobrakpeya, The Last Supper 1981
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- Ben Enwonwu, The Durbar of Eid-ul-Fitr, Kano, Nigeria 1955
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- Uzo Egonu, Stateless People an artist with beret, 1981
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- Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, Elemu Yoruba Palm Wine Seller, 1963.
