Solidarity and shared optimism take centre stage at 1-54 fair in London

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London, held at Somerset House until 19 October, showcases a wide range of African and diaspora artists amid a surge of international attention on Nigeria's art scene. Galleries such as The 1897, O'DA Gallery, Circle Art Gallery, Everyday Lusaka Gallery, and Affinity Art Gallery present works by artists including Roisin Jones, Afeez Onakoya, Paul Majek, Simon Richard Ojeaga, Tiemar Tegene, Alick Phiri, and Samuel Nnorom. The fair highlights both Nigeria's contemporary art boom—bolstered by Tate Modern's Nigerian Modernism exhibition and the opening of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City—and the need to elevate artists from less-represented regions like East Africa and Zambia.