Artists To Watch At 1-54 New York

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair returns to New York for the 12th year! Lynette Yiadom-Boakye is showing new works at Jack Shainman Gallery.

EDITORIAL

Four Artists To Watch At 1-54 New York

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair returns to New York for the 12th year! As usual, the fair brings together a focused group of galleries from across Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The fair, which takes place at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea, offers a snapshot of contemporary practices from Africa and its diasporas, and a space for exchange between artists, collectors, and ideas.

This year’s curated focus, 1-54 Presents: Brazil Beyond Brazil, led by Igor Simões, explores Afro-Brazilian practices within a broader diasporic framework, offering a more layered perspective on contemporary production. A series of special projects expands the fair beyond the booth format, with presentations such as Vilanismo: Collective Practices of Refusal across the Black Atlantic, Ekene Ijeoma’s Black Forest, and TM Arthouse’s Entanglements exhibitions, all of which offer immersive, research-driven approaches.

These are four artists to watch at the fair this year.

Serge Attukwei Clottey

Serge Attukwei Clottey. Image courtesy of Whitewall.