Contemporary African art continues to captivate the global stage, reshaping narratives and expanding visual languages through deeply personal, political, and experimental forms. These ten artists represent the diversity, power, and innovation of African art today—on the continent and across the diaspora.

1. Cinga Samson (South Africa)

Cinga Samson’s oil paintings are unmistakable: richly dark palettes, figures with white, pupil-less eyes, and ceremonious, enigmatic compositions. His work grapples with spirituality, tradition, masculinity, and modernity. Samson is represented by White Cube and has exhibited internationally in London, Paris, and New York, solidifying his place as one of South Africa’s most important young painters.

2. Aïda Muluneh (Ethiopia)

A pioneering voice in African photography, Muluneh blends tradition, Afrofuturism, and feminist narratives. Her vibrant portraits often feature women adorned in symbolic body paint, exploring beauty, resilience, and belonging. She founded Addis Foto Fest and has exhibited at the MoMA and Nobel Peace Centre.

3. Kudzanai Chiurai (Zimbabwe)

Chiurai’s multidisciplinary work—spanning painting, video, and installation—confronts colonial legacies, violence, and post-independence disillusionment. His bold visual language, political satire, and activist stance have earned him international acclaim, including exhibitions at MoMA and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

4. Alioune Diagne (Senegal)

Known for his signature “Figuro-Abstro” style, Diagne fuses abstraction and figuration to depict everyday life in Senegal and the diaspora. He represented Senegal at the 2024 Venice Biennale, where his intricate compositions—layered with calligraphic marks—offered a fresh visual lexicon for African experience.

5. Ekene Emeka-Maduka (Nigeria/Canada)

Emeka-Maduka’s paintings, often self-portraits, are soft yet assertive explorations of identity, diaspora, and femininity. Her figures gaze directly at the viewer, inviting introspection. Featured in 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, she is one of the most exciting new voices in diasporic portraiture.

6. Rehema Chachage (Tanzania)

Chachage’s work bridges ritual, memory, and matrilineal storytelling. Through video, performance, and installation, she explores Swahili culture, gender, and ancestral narratives. Her art has been shown at Dak’Art and key feminist exhibitions globally.

7. Annan Affotey (Ghana)

Affotey’s thick impasto portraits—marked by his subjects’ signature red eyes—speak to cultural identity, familial bonds, and spiritual presence. Based in the US, he is gaining international attention for the emotional intimacy and raw texture of his paintings.

8. Simnikiwe Buhlungu (South Africa)

Working across sound, video, print, and sculpture, Buhlungu interrogates knowledge systems, memory, and community. She represented South Africa at the 2022 Venice Biennale and continues to push boundaries in conceptually rigorous and process-driven installations.

9. Modupeola Fadugba (Nigeria)

Fadugba’s multidisciplinary work explores social issues like education and representation, particularly through her acclaimed “The People’s Algorithm” series. She uses painting, drawing, and installation to explore community, gender, and aspiration in African societies.

10. Arinze Stanley (Nigeria)

A master of hyperrealism, Stanley creates pencil drawings that are almost photographic. His work often addresses injustice, resilience, and the emotional landscape of Black experience. Featured by Forbes and Artnet, he continues to raise the technical and emotional bar in contemporary African drawing.