Arts + Culture
Ben Enwonwu’s “Tutu”: the lost portrait of a Yoruba princess that sold for £1.2 million
Ben Enwonwu painted Tutu, a portrait of Ile-Ife princess Adetutu Ademiluyi, in 1974. The painting disappeared for decades…
Arts + Culture
Dive into a world of boundless creativity and diverse perspectives with our Arts + Culture corner. Explore the latest in visual arts, literature, and cultural trends
Arts + Culture
Chris Ofili: the British-Nigerian painter who won the Turner Prize with elephant dung
Chris Ofili, born in Manchester to Nigerian parents, won the Turner Prize in 1998, the first Black artist…
Arts + Culture
Tingatinga: the bright animal paintings that began on a Dar es Salaam roadside
Tingatinga painting, known for bright enamel colours and stylised animals, was created by Edward Saidi Tingatinga in Dar…
Arts + Culture
Makonde carving: the ebony sculptures of Tanzania and Mozambique
The Makonde people of southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique are famous for sculptures carved from African blackwood. Styles…
Arts + Culture
The Golden Stool: the sacred throne that holds the soul of the Asante nation
The Golden Stool, Sika Dwa Kofi, is the sacred symbol of the Asante nation. According to tradition, it…
Arts + Culture
Kuba cloth: the raffia textiles of the Kuba Kingdom in Congo
Kuba cloth, made from raffia palm fibre in the Kuba Kingdom of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is…
Arts + Culture
Esther Mahlangu: the Ndebele painter who covered a BMW in her patterns
Esther Mahlangu, born in 1935 in Mpumalanga, South Africa, carried the Ndebele tradition of geometric house painting onto…
Arts + Culture
Bogolanfini: the Malian mud cloth painted with fermented earth
Bogolanfini, or mud cloth, is a Malian textile made by the Bamana people. Cotton is dyed with leaves…
Arts + Culture
Adire: the indigo resist-dyed cloth of Abeokuta and the women who made it
Adire is a Yoruba resist-dyed cloth, traditionally dyed with indigo by women in Abeokuta and other towns. Patterns…
Arts + Culture
Shaku shaku: the Lagos street dance that shaped Nigerian pop in 2017 and 2018
Shaku shaku, a dance from the streets of Lagos, took over Nigerian music in 2017 and 2018. Its…