This January is marked by a vibrant revival of curations capturing emotions of grace, love, and purity and beautiful narratives. Explore 10 exceptional exhibitions across Africa, spotlighting remarkable talents and artists. From Tizta Berhanu to Moustapha Baïdi Oumarou, and from intimate solo shows to THK Gallery’s summer exhibition, dive into MAYI ARTS' selection of African art exhibitions for January 2025.

1. ‘AGAPE’ Tizta BERHANU’s solo show at ADDIS FINE ART - Until 8 March 2025

ADDIS FINE ART presents AGAPE, a poetic solo exhibition of Tizta BERHANU in their Addis Abeba address. Centered around the purity of love and genuine care, the work of the artist reflects on her life and her interactions with people through her oil paintings. The figures are an amalgamation of expressions and gestures she gleaned from models, photographs, and people on the internet, collaged into a composition of her own imagination. Tizta intends these works to incite empathy in the observer, encouraging a deeper engagement with the relationships we have with each other. Addis Fine Art

2. ‘Transformations : New Perspectives’ group show at TewasArt Africa  - 12-28 January 2025

Nairobi based gallery TewasArt Africa presents a group exhibition exploring modern painting styles and narratives founded on rich and diverse African cultural backgrounds and themes including identity, portraiture, figuration, urbanisation and landscapes, captured meticulously by Ethiopian, Kenyan, Sudanese, Ugandan and Nigerian contemporary artists. TewasArt Africa.

3. ‘Light + Space II’ group show at THK Gallery - Until 10 February 2025

Light + Space II celebrates the radiant energy of the Southern Summer, offering moments of reflection and renewal. Putting into conversation the works of Luluma Wolf, Nina Turok Shapiro, Abdus Salaam, Driaan Claassen, Natnael Ashebir, Turiya Magadlela, Thomas Wachholz and Jake Michael Singer. A refreshing must see. Ethiopian painter Natnael Ashebir debuts at THK Gallery with vibrant, symbolic interior scenes, while Gillian Rosselli presents works inspired by Zimbabwean rains. Nina Turok Shaprio explores memory through vivid screenprints, Driaan Claassen pushes sculptural boundaries, Lulama Wolf unveils new pieces, and Turiya Magadlela evolves her signature textured techniques. Together, the artists present diverse perspectives on light, space, and introspection.THK Gallery summer exhibition Light + Space II is a gentle ode to optimism.

4. ‘Fragile Wings of Motherhood’ Rebekka Macht’s solo show at Gallery 1957 - Until 2 March 2025

Gallery 1957 first show of the year is dedicated to Rebekka Macht’s Fragile Wings of Motherhood, curated by Azu Nwagbogu. Through abstract expressionism, Macht explores the paradoxes of motherhood—protection and vulnerability, love and loss—while reflecting on her experience raising Black sons as a white single mother. This poignant exhibition gives voice to the complexities, fears, and transformations of maternal identity, offering solace and creative freedom.

5. ‘These Four Walls’, Ayotunde Ojo’s solo show at Southern Guild Cape Town - Until 27 February, 2025.

Ayotunde Ojo Explores Memory and Space in Debut Solo Exhibition. Lagos-based painter Ayotunde Ojo presents These Four Walls, a debut solo exhibition delving into the interplay of consciousness and unconsciousness. Rooted in domestic life, Ojo's works traverse emotional and imaginative landscapes, examining how fleeting moments shape perception. The series originated during Ojo's time at Southern Guild’s GUILD Residency in Cape Town earlier this year, where his exploration of memory and space first took form.

6. ‘When Works Meet’, group show at Stevenson - Until 8 February 2025

This summer Stevenson presents When Works Meet, an expanded iteration of our two-person exhibition series, Juxtapositions. The title is drawn from observations made by Zoe Hopkins while reviewing exhibitions by Ming Smith and Rotimi Fani-Kayode at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Showing concurrently, in close proximity, the artists’ works were given a chance to connect across time and place, prompting new associations and dialogues on affinities and art-making. When Works Meet follows this logic, arranging the works of 50 artists in pairings and groupings that offer unexpected resonances.

7. “Fragments d’Aujourd’hui”, Moustapha Baïdi Oumarou’s and Déborah Yawdam at IFC Yaoundé - 16 January - 31 March 2025

The Cameroonian art scene is set to witness a unique collaboration as renowned contemporary artist Moustapha Baïdi Oumarou joins forces with emerging talent Déborah Yawdam. Their exhibition, Fragments of Today, offers a compelling visual dialogue, blending tradition and modernity in an emotionally charged showcase. Don’t miss this remarkable meeting of artistic minds.

8. “It’s Not Going to Get Better”, Thero Makepe’s solo show at Vela Projects - Until 25 January 2025 

It’s Not Going to Get Better is crafted as response to a wave of global electoral fever. 2024 was a year which saw more than 100 countries, and approximately half of the world’s population, heading to national polls. Focusing on the Botswana General Elections, Makepe interprets the tenor on the ground of a country that is often held as the poster child of a peaceful African democracy. Despite promises of freedom and opportunity, in this late-capitalist moment, the lead-up to the election seemed bleak.

9. ‘Homesick’ Mous Lamrabat’s solo show at LOFT Art Gallery - 30 January – 15 March 2025

Loft Art Gallery announces Homesick, a solo exhibition by Moroccan-Belgian photographer Mous Lamrabat, running from January 30 to March 15, 2025, in Marrakech, coinciding with the 1-54 Marrakech art fair. Known for blending tradition with modernity, Lamrabat's distinctive portraiture bridges his Moroccan roots and diasporic life. Homesick explores themes of identity, belonging, and origin through symbolic, pop culture-infused photographs that reinterpret cultural codes. Loft Art Gallery.

10. ‘Espace Observé’, group show at Sablière N’Sele (Kinshasa), 18 January – 01 February 2025

Group show putting into conversation the works of Congolese artists Rodrigo Gukwikila, Syntyche Mbembo, Williams Mosete, Emmanuel Ngunga, Landry Mulala, Naguy Kusibula and Mwalimu Bahati. As part of the Espace Observé project, a creative workshop was held on December 20, 2024, with children from Kindobo village in partnership with a local orphanage. The exhibition is also complemented by works created by 15 children inspired by materials from exhibiting artists and centered on observation and imagining the future. Proceeds from the artwork's sale will support the Kindobo orphanage, improving the children’s living conditions and fostering their creativity.