Obilala Nwankwo

From June 8 to 14, Houston supersized its arts celebration with the first-ever Fade to Black Arts Festival—an expansion of the longtime play festival—bringing together legendary artists like Phylicia Rashad, powerful masterclasses, visual art exhibits, youth engagement, and dynamic programming across six major venues in the city.

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has expanded its cultural programming by collaborating with the Art in Black Foundation to debut The South African Collective. The curated exhibition features five contemporary South African artists and will be on display during the June 12–14, 2025 festival in Miami Beach.

Established in 1965 and opened in 1966, Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History commemorates six decades of collecting, educating and celebrating Black heritage. With a permanent collection exceeding 35,000 artifacts and nationally recognised programmes including the African World Festival, the museum remains a vital hub for storytelling, community engagement and cultural remembrance.

Between 2013 and 2023, global sales of African contemporary art soared by 46%, peaking at $101 million in 2021. Today, the market is approaching $1.5 billion, buoyed by digital platforms, art fairs, and increased visibility of women artists—who now represent over 50% of global auction sales for African art.

During the Doing Business Angola event, Forbes África Lusófona honoured businessman António Mota with Curiosity, a unique painting by artist Paulo Formiga, commissioned by Afrikanizm Art. The piece, handed to his son Manuel Mota in his absence, is a symbol of resilience, curiosity and Mota’s decades-long connection to Angola.

Featured in Colossal on June 4, 2025, Mario Moore’s bold new oil paintings weave Black subjects into Flemish-style devotional imagery. With works like “Pillars” and “Watermelon Man,” Moore spotlights resilience, self-determination, and land legacy, fueled by his personal, historical connections.

A fresh wave of scholarship and exhibition is reclaiming overlooked Black artists and sitters—from a 17th-century portrait in England to mid-20th-century Nigerian modernism—revealing gaps in European collections and challenging Eurocentric art history.

This article highlights essential readings—books, exhibition catalogues, and journals—that are indispensable for collectors, scholars, and art lovers interested in contemporary African art. From foundational texts to new voices, this guide celebrates African creativity in all its diversity.