Lagos-based contemporary art space, Windsor Gallery has unveiled a stellar cast of female artists for its first group presentation of the year tagged ‘Modern Matriarchs – Charting New Frontiers in Art’
Why it matters? The history of female African artists is rich and diverse, yet often overlooked in mainstream narratives. Women have been creating art in Africa for centuries, contributing to various cultural and artistic movements. However, their visibility and recognition within the art world have been limited due to factors like patriarchal systems, colonial legacies, and gender biases.
Thankfully there has been a growing acknowledgement of the importance of highlighting the voices and perspectives of female African artists. Exhibitions like “Modern Matriarchs” serve to challenge stereotypes and expand the representation of African art.
Featured works: The group exhibition features work by African artists namely Chuma Adam (South Africa), Samuella Graham (Ghana), Chinaza Nkemka (Nigeria), Osaru Obaseki (Nigeria), Gbonjubola Obatuyi (Nigeria), Chigozie Obi (Nigeria), Simhle Plaatjies (South Africa), Kristine Tsala (Cameroon).
When is the exhibition: ‘Modern Matriarchs–Charting New Frontiers in Art’ started showing on February 17th, and runs until March 9th, 2024–spanning over three weeks. Doors open by 10 am and end by 7 pm daily.
Meet the eight:
Chuma Adam(South Africa) is a multi-disciplined visual artist who was born in Durban and is currently based in Johannesburg. She is currently completing her Fine Arts degree at the University of Witwatersrand.
Samuella Graham (Ghana) is a Visual Artist, Painter, Graphic Designer & Animator.
Chinaza Nkemka (Nigeria) is a contemporar artist who demonstrates versatility in paintings and digital software.
Osaru Obaseki (Nigeria) is a multi-media visual artist and an independent culture/heritage researcher. She is one of the many rising artists in Africa who has carved a niche in the contemporary art scene.
Gbonjubola Obatuyi (Nigeria) is a profound mixed media artist who truly brings her canvases to life using fabric and acrylic paint, often depicting the gentleness and the gift of femininity. She earned an HND in Fine Arts from Auchi Polytechnic and has participated in several exhibitions in Nigeria, including the Art Expo Festival 2016, Destiny at Alexis Gallery 2019, Oreze Vii 2019, and Impart Artists Fair 2019.
Chigozie Obi (Nigeria) is a multi-dimensional visual artist. Her work explores experimentation with multiple materials to tell stories formed from personal/societal experiences. obtained a bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts from the Creative Arts department, University of Lagos in 2017. She is the winner of the Access Bank’s Art X Prize (2021), one of the winners of The Future Awards Prize For Art (2021), one of the shortlisted artists for The Alpine Fellowship Art Prize (2020) and recently concluded her residency at Gasworks, London (April – June 2022).
Simhle Plaatjies (South Africa) is a vibrant, energetic hockey player, fitness model, TV personality, actress, fine artist and influencer.
Kristine Tsala (Cameroon) is a visual artist. Tsala lives and works in Abidjan as a visual artist, born near Yaoundé, Cameroon.
