Last chance to explore Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern in the context of the 2026 Venice Biennale

Today is the last chance to explore Nigerian Modernism, the landmark exhibition at Tate Modern, bringing together a diverse range of paintings, sculpture, textiles and poetry from over 50 artists, including Uzo Egonu, El Anatsui, Ladi Kwali and Ben Enwonwu MBE, who revolutionised modern art in Nigeria in the mid-20th century.

Nigerian Modernism celebrates the achievements of Nigerian artists working before and after the decade of national independence from British colonial rule in 1960, telling the story of artistic networks which spanned Zaria, Ibadan, Lagos and Enugu, as well as London, Munich and Paris. The show presents multidimensional and multi-media works, fusing Nigerian and African traditions and techniques with European practices and drawing inspiration from local cultures as well as from religious traditions of the many ethnic groups, such as Fulani-Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba people. After the country is established as a British colony in 1914, Nigerian artistic practices don’t flow into a single Modernist movement, rather the cultural environment in the country is revolutionised by a generation of artists who create their own art schools and collectives or travel abroad in search of better opportunities to express their art and creativity, in contrast to  the colonial education system.

The exhibition maps the shift from the colonial education system, shaped by the British government, to the early forms of decolonisation, when artists and cultural organisations affirm their ambition to create a new visual grammar, rooted into the Indigenous traditions and narrated through a multiplicity of voices.

While Nigerian Modernism traces the rise of modern art in Nigeria from the aftermath of the Second World War to the close of the twentieth century, at this year’s Art Biennale in Venice “In Minor Keys”, Nigerian art and artists play a key role within a broader African presence. Curated by Cameroonian late curator and thinker Koyo Kouoh, In Minor Keys alludes to the quiet tones, the lower frequencies, the hums, as well as to the islands, the archipelagos, to “the other worlds that artists make, the intimate and convivial universes that refresh and sustain even in terrible times; indeed, especially in terrible times.” Nigerian representatives and movements on show at the 2026 Venice Biennale include the British-Nigerian artist Ranti Bam, Otobong Nkanga, Marcia Kure and Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation founded by Yinka Shonibare.