London’s culture lovers will be descending upon the Strand this weekend for the acclaimed 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair as it returns to Somerset House.
The 9th London edition of this iconic art fair once again offers a sensational display of the most exciting contemporary African art for all. As part of the programme of 1-54 Special Projects, the event is partnering with Christie’s auction house to present an exhibition at the Duke Street space curated by art historian and art critic Christine Eyene and deliver an online edition to reach a global audience. From Thursday 14 to Sunday 31 October 2021, works from 1-54 are available to purchase and view on Artsy for an extended period of time following the close of the official fair.
Showcasing 150 artists
1-54 brings together a diverse set of perspectives from around the world and has carefully selected 48 leading international galleries from 23 countries across Europe, Africa and North America. These include: Angola, Belgium, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Kenya, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Switzerland, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Of the 48 exhibitors, 14 galleries are delighted to be welcomed to the London fair for the very first time. The fair is impressively showcasing the work of more than 150 emerging and established artists. These talents are working in a wide variety of mediums and are from a range of geographical backgrounds. These include the talented Tyna Adebowale who was born in Edo, Nigeria. She now works between Amsterdam, Netherlands and her home country. Her figures painted in acrylic on canvas are highly distinctive and created with great skill.
Special mention must also be made of Mona Taha. She was born to an Egyptian father and a Rwandese mother and is a self-taught artist who lives in Uganda. Her self portraits using charcoal and graphite on pastel paper finely demonstrate her finesse in figurative drawing.
A landmark year
“It has been an incredibly challenging 18 months for many industries including the art,” said Touria El Glaoui, Founding Director, 1-54, “It’s my absolute pleasure to announce that we are able to welcome back our usual number of galleries to Somerset House for our 9th edition in the city.” The Founding Director also noted this was also a landmark year for the respected fair because a record number of galleries from the African continent would be present. Among the diverse exhibitors this year are a commendable 20 galleries from Africa.
The fair is accompanied by 1-54 Forum, a lively programme of artists’ talks, film screenings, panel discussions, performances and readings that will be curated by Dr.Omar Kholeif, Director of Collections and Senior Curator at Sharjah Art Foundation. They are taking place both online and at Somerset House.
Sculptural highlight
A highlight of the fair is the sculptural work that occupies the vast courtyard of the historic Somerset House site, central London’s most distinctive working arts centre and home to the UK’s largest creative community. For the 1-54 Courtyard Sculpture Commission this year, London-based artist Lakwena Maciver has produced 20 large-scale and interactive basketball paintings in her signature bold style with the support of Vigo Gallery.
Her approach is described as “instinctive and autodidactic” by the organisers, producing immersive installations employing acid bright colour and bold typographic text. While the pieces are significant in size, they sadly face skyward making it difficult for visitors to admire the artwork which occupies prime position at the centre of Somerset House.
Lakwena means ‘messenger’ in the northern Ugandan language Acholi. Born in 1986, her name is reflected in her artistic practice, which is concerned with messages.
Visitors this year are being asked help keep everyone safe by complying with the sanitary measures operating throughout the venue. Each visitor ticket is valid for access to 1-54 London on the date and time specified on it and for 1 person only. Visitors are asked to arrive 10 minutes before the time they have booked. There will be a hands-free ticketing system and a one-way circuit operates through the fair. Face masks are encouraged, there will be designated hand-sanitising stations and capacity control at all times.
Foodie idea: For those seeking lunch or supper, simply turn left as you leave Somerset House and try The Indian Club. Look out for the “Hotel Strand Continental” sign and use the narrow staircase to reach the restaurant (sadly note there is no lift access for this old building).
For more information and ticket prices visit: www.1-54.com/london/
Top image: Kwaku and Osei Tutu Prempeh, 2021 (Oil on Canvas) by Afia Prempeh whose work is being presented by Gallery 1957.
