Even amidst the most turbulent of periods, art can provide respite and transcendence from our current reality. Over the past few weeks, as individuals across the globe have been forced to retreat into states of isolation, many artists, used to creating in solitude, are using the additional time to further experiment, reflect and challenge their art both figuratively and intellectually.
The last decade has witnessed an explosion of artists from the African continent. Their art, often beaming with dynamic colours, materials and subject matter, is increasingly being snapped up by global galleries, art fairs and museums as contemporary art from Africa celebrates its own Renaissance. Africa’s artists, like the rest of the art world under lockdown, are now working in quieter, more somnolent spaces. The work of Zohra Opoku, Joana Choumali, Amoako Boafo, Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi and Tariku Shiferaw, made during these seemingly endless days of social distancing offers glimmers of hope and inspiration for our present-day tribulations.
