Spotlight: African Artists to Check Out!

It's no news that African artists are storming the music industry. From modern art to African contemporary art works. American artists truly tell hidden takes with every color and brush on a canvas.  Right from the African forefathers, paintings have been an intricate part of African culture.  From inscriptions on the walls to ancestral artworks on the body.

However, to relive the legacy of the African forefathers, African artists are making a statement with art. But this development comes with a twist.  Illustrations are now exhibited all around the globe from paintings, sketches and 3D drawings. In the next coming years, African artists will make a name in modern contemporary artworks. Slowly but steadily, these young and vibrant individuals have put Africa on the map through art.

1. Banele Khoza

The South  African painter was born in 1994 in Swaziland. Khoza attended the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, where he attained a BTech in Fine Arts. Afterward, he went off to fashion with the hopes of making a solid career due to his creativity and out-of-the-box ideas. He enrolled in the London International School of Fashion in Johannesburg.

After spending some time in the fashion industry, he realized he could channel his creativity into paintings. That's when he discovered his passion for the arts. He began to explore his creativity on the canvas. In 2017, he won the prestigious Gerard Sekoto award. The award also came with three months free residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.

In 2018, he assembled a piece titled ‘A letter to my 22 years old self.’ The show was presented to initiate his fundraising activities which will give grants to art students struggling with financial hardship at South African universities.

2. Dimitri Fagbohoun

The sculptor was one of the six contemporary African artists whose work was recently exhibited in Paris. His piece was showcased in the Cècile Fakhoury gallery in Paris. In the excitement, Dimitri states that historical art galleries are finally sharing the spotlight with African artists.

The sculptor was raised in Cameroon and decided to settle in France after a move. His world seeks to appreciate the motherland and her natural endowments. He strongly believes that there is a place for African artists in the world map. His exhibitions cut across Cotonou, Brussels and Paris.

3. Ayra Starr

Her name turned into a household name after she dropped her one-hit single, bloody Samaritan, in her single titled ‘19 & dangerous.’ Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe is the new voice of Gen Z sound. She's bringing in her styles and fashion. At the age of 16, she started modeling for an agency called Quove model management before seeking to pursue a career in music.

Starr currently tops the charts with her hit single, Rush. She's truly a ‘Sabi girl who doesn't let age or other forms of discrimination deter her. The youngest voice in the industry doesn't mean she's backward in her game.