10 African Arts Exhibitions to see this winter 2025 - Africa & RoW
Find the best African Arts and Global South exhibitions to see this February and March 2025 to close winter across the world. From Awanle Ayiboro Hawa Ali, Manyaku Mashilo to Amina Aguznay, find out the best exhibitions to visit this month
“Fine Feathers Don’t Make Fine Birds” Awanle Ayiboro HAWA ALI, curated by Nana Yaa Poku ASARE-BOADU, at 1957 Gallery - Until 29 March 2025
Fine Feathers Don’t Make Fine Birds, Awanle Ayiboro HAWA ALI
Gallery 1957 presents Fine Feathers Don’t Make Fine Birds, a solo exhibition by Awanle Ayiboro Hawa Ali, curated by Nana Yaa Poku Asare-Boadu after a ten-month residency in Accra. The series highlights the lives of two marginalized groups in Accra—Kayayei girls (female porters) and Girly Girls (sex workers)—exploring themes of power, survival, and societal constraints. Ayiboro reinterprets Baroque aesthetics to challenge entrenched norms and expose Ghana’s socio-economic exploitation of women. Through collaboration with her subjects and curator, she reclaims narratives of resilience and agency, linking contemporary struggles to historical colonial exploitation and artistic grandeur.
2. “Collected Memory” collective show, at THK Gallery - Until 30 March 2025
If I could Piece together, Karla Nixon
Collected Memory brings together local and international female artists—Leila Abrahams, Sahlah Davids, Amy Rusch, Karla Nixon, Mille Kalsmose, and Purvai Rai—exploring materiality as a vessel for identity and memory. Central to the exhibition is the concept of materials as living archives, carrying personal and collective histories. Mille Kalsmose presents a new iteration of her Collected Memory series, dyed with tea to reflect Cape Town’s cultural landscape. Originally debuted at the UN in 2020, Kalsmose’s evolving installation continues to gather new contributions, expanding its archive of shared human experiences.
3. “Unfinished Symphony” Pascal KONAN , at The Melrose Gallery - Until 9 March 2025
Unfinished Symphony, Pascal Konan
Unfinished Symphony, a solo exhibition by Ivorian artist Pascal Konan, runs at The Melrose Gallery from 8 February to 9 March 2025. Curated by Mpumi Mayisa, the show reflects on resilience, transformation, and African identity in a globalized world. Konan’s work blends tradition and modernity, using materials like denim, bleach, acrylic, and Chinese ink to explore life in Abidjan’s dynamic yet precarious neighborhoods. Through fragmented figuration, he offers a poetic meditation on the complexities of urban African life.
4. “The Laying of Hands” Manyaku MASHILO solo show at Southern Guild (U.S) - Until 3 May 2025
We came unafraid and willing to stay, Manyaku MASHILO
The Laying of Hands, Manyaku Mashilo’s first U.S. solo exhibition, runs at Southern Guild Los Angeles from 13 February to 3 May, 2025. Exploring matrilineal knowledge in Sepedi culture, Mashilo’s paintings depict women rooted in strength and tradition, drawing inspiration from the 'koma' coming-of-age ceremony. Her figures, draped in letsoku-inspired red ochre and clay, embody resilience, protection, and transformation. The works reflect Mashilo’s memories of familial rituals and her late grandmother, a healer. Using layered techniques, she blends celestial realms with motifs like staffs and circular architecture to symbolize connection, protection, and continuity. Through this restorative body of work, Mashilo reimagines her culture and celebrates the collective power of building abundant futures.
5. “New Visions” at Circle Art Gallery - Until 27 February 2025
New Visions, Circle Art Gallery
Circle Art Gallery presents New Visions, an exhibition dedicated to emerging artists from Eastern Africa, with four of the six participants making their gallery debut. The show offers a diverse collection of works in photography, digital collage, painting, mixed media, and textile arts, exploring themes such as grief, ritual, memory, and self-presentation. These artists push the boundaries of their mediums and narratives, engaging deeply with personal and collective histories, while inviting viewers to reflect on broader relational concerns.
6. “Field Work, Volet 3”, Amina AGUZNAY at Loft Art Gallery - Until 15 March 2025
Field Work, Volet 3, Amina AGUZNAY
Loft Art Gallery presents FIELD WORKS, an exhibition that delves into Amina AGUZNAY’s research-driven and experimental artistic approach, shaped by her collaborations with master artisans across Morocco. The brillant showcase celebrates creative encounters and participatory processes, blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary narratives. Agueznay reinterprets weaving and ancestral patterns into minimalist forms, honouring Morocco’s rich heritage through her concept of "collecting territories." Her work spans from intricate jewellry to large-scale installations, emphasising spatial engagement and physicality. Central to her practice is the use of modular units, symbolising interconnected parts of a greater whole and reflecting themes of continuity and community.
7. “Chez nous, même le silence est bruyant”, Yasmine HADNI – at Africarty Gallery - Until 31 March 2025
I’m in your hands, Lakwena MACIVER
Yasmine Hadni’s solo exhibition, Chez nous, même le silence est bruyant, at African Arty gallery explores the trivial of life through a collection of paintings, screen prints, and a sound piece. Rooted in her personal story, Hadni explores themes of self-identity, childhood, and family dynamics within the Moroccan bourgeoisie. She creates an autobiographical narrative where personal introspection intertwines with social commentary. By revisiting her past, Hadni crafts a new reality that reflects both internal and external journeys. Must see.
8. “Cris de mer et du desert”, Hako HANKSON at Oh Gallery - Until 19 April 2025
Frontier of Life, Hako KANKSON
Oh Gallery presents Cris de mer et du désert, a solo exhibition by Hako Hankson running from February 8 to April 19, 2025. The show continues Hankson’s long-standing exploration of migration, displacement, and identity, themes also presented at the 2022 Dakar Biennale. Featuring drawings and paintings from different periods, the exhibition blends archival and documentary elements to connect past and present. Hankson reflects on the persistence of social and geopolitical fractures, particularly in Africa. His work amplifies silenced voices and invites contemplation on identity and resilience in the face of displacement.
9. “Cities: Built, Broken”, Sudgir PATWARDHAN at Vadehra Art Gallery - Until 4 March 2025
Roadsides Tales, Sudhir Patwardhan
Vaderha Art Gallery introduces the work of Sudhir Patwardhan in a solo exhibition dedicated to urban landscapes, showcasing his evolving vision of Mumbai. Patwardhan’s early paintings from the 1980s and 1990s depicted the city under construction, while his recent works reflect a darker, congested metropolis of concrete and metal. His art explores the alienation of city life, highlighting how urban architecture shapes social hierarchies and fragmentation. Influenced by Marxist thinker Henri Lefebvre, Patwardhan portrays space as inherently political, yet he also honors the enduring humanity of the city’s people through their daily struggles and resilience.
10. “Dance will be you”, at Efie Gallery - Until 20 March 2025
Dance Will Be You, Efie Gallery
Dance Will Be You group show explores transcendence, devotion, and freedom in contemporary African art through multiplicity. Inspired by Sonia Sanchez’s poetry, the exhibition highlights dynamic identity expressions. María Magdalena Campos-Pons navigates celestial and ancestral themes, J.K. Bruce-Vanderpuije documents cultural celebrations, Dina Nur Satti channels transformation through ceramics, and Myles Igwebuike bridges Igbo traditions with modern design. Together, these works invite reflection and celebrate evolving African identities. At Efie Gallery
