The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair has returned to the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea, New York, featuring over 20 galleries from Africa and the diaspora, with a special focus on Brazil and Afro-Brazilian perspectives. The fair, running through Sunday, includes first-time participants from Lagos, São Paulo, Nassau, and New York, and highlights five standout booths: Sulette van der Merwe's surrealist paintings at Blond Contemporary, Modou Dieng Yacine's Senegalese wrestler-inspired works at 193 Gallery, Ekene Ijeoma's Black Forest Library community project, Rommulo Vieira Conceição's aluminum works at Aura, and the curated section "Brazil Beyond Brazil" featuring 10 artists selected by Igor Simões.
This fair matters because it continues to expand the narratives of the African diaspora in the global art market, placing Afro-Brazilian art and perspectives at the center of conversation. By featuring galleries from across the continent and its diaspora alongside a dedicated curated section, 1-54 challenges traditional art-world hierarchies and highlights the growing commercial and curatorial recognition of African and Afro-descendant artists.