The British-Ghanaian curator Osei Bonsu has chosen 50 up to date artists for his new ebook African Artwork Now, which provides an summary of the artwork being made by younger African artists spanning the continent, from Algeria to Zimbabwe. Among the many topics of his ebook are the Nigerian painter Njideka Akunyili Crosby, the Kenyan artist Michael Armitage, and the Malawi-born Samson Kambalu. Right here, Bonsu takes us by means of the concepts and course of behind his new ebook.
The Artwork Newspaper: Who’s the ebook aimed toward?
Osei Bonsu: The ebook is aimed toward a basic viewers who could also be new to the sphere of latest African artwork. There may be typically a big disparity between younger artists working right now and the typical age of museum goers. I wished to deal with a era who may really feel inspired to be taught extra in regards to the artists shaping the way forward for African artwork. It’s accessible and reader-friendly, however it additionally grapples with key themes and concepts central to important discourses round up to date African artwork.
Was making the choice difficult?
Sure, the goal was to give attention to youthful artists who’ve actually established their very own voices. African Artwork Now could be very a lot in regards to the current—artists who’re shaping the expansive and ever-changing African artwork scene. There have been particular challenges: for instance, given the historic and geo-political cut up between northern and so-called sub-Saharan Africa, it was vital to deal with areas of shared curiosity with out aiming to be encyclopaedic. Readers will see many thematic, stylistic and conceptual approaches, none of which might be tied to a single geographical place. This felt like a distinct means to consider the regionality of African artwork, which might typically prohibit or restrict the interpretation of an artist’s work.
Was the analysis course of notably intense?
Sure, I hung out making an attempt to jot down about every artist in some depth, interviewing most of them within the course of. In lots of instances, it grew to become clear that their work deserved much more consideration than a ebook may supply (I’ve since written longer essays on lots of the artists). The goal of the ebook is to offer an perception into the artists who’re innovating and pioneering new methods ahead. As an artwork historian and curator, I spend lots of time with artworks, however I hardly ever get to jot down in regards to the works of my friends comparable to Amoako Boafo and Bronwyn Katz. I used to be continuously occupied with how the ebook can be learn by younger artists throughout Africa and its diaspora. I wished them to really feel impressed and inspired to be taught extra about their tales, cultures and traditions. The ebook knowledgeable a lot of the pondering [behind] the forthcoming exhibition, A World in Frequent: Modern African Images at Tate Fashionable [opening July 2023]. The exhibition makes use of images as some extent of departure to discover themes of conventional, spirituality, cultural heritage, and local weather change. So typically we discover that a lot of what’s “new” about up to date African artwork is rooted in a deep and storied previous.
• African Artwork Now, Osei Bonsu, Octopus Publishing Group, 240pp, £40 (hb)