How West Africa Is Reclaiming Its Artistic Legacy

As the global art world continues to wrestle with its colonial past, the region's artists and cultural institutions are greeting the future head on.

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Sep 14, 2025 - 00:15

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How West Africa Is Reclaiming Its Artistic Legacy

Across West Africa, a quiet yet seismic shift is redefining the arts and museum culture. Once cast by Western critics and mainstream media as static repositories of colonial-era artifacts, the region is now overturning those narratives and reshaping what it means to create, preserve and present African art. This transformation is not limited to new expressions of cultural authenticity; focusing on both past and present, it challenges the very foundations of how African art is interpreted and valued. And as institutions reclaim narrative authority and place cultural identity at the center, they are asserting an unmistakable presence in a global discourse long dominated by Western institutions.

A vivid example of this transformation is the recently closed exhibition “The Eight Printmaking Grandmasters Exhibition,” which opened at Fobally Art World Africa in Lagos, Nigeria, in early August. The show convened some of the region’s most influential printmakers and paid tribute to the revolutionary vision of Uche Okeke, Solomon Wangboje and Bruce Onobrakpeya—trailblazing members of the Zaria Rebels who, in the 1950s, defied colonial art norms and rewrote the course of modern African art. At the time, colonial art schools privileged European styles, perspectives and realism, but the Zaria Rebels rose by rejecting the idea that African art had to mimic European standards to be deemed legitimate. They resisted curricula designed to sever them from their own cultures and visual traditions. Onobrakpeya, for instance, infused his work with abstract motifs drawn from Nigerian folklore, including Urhobo mythological figures and uli or nsibidi symbols. Through their defiance, printmaking was transformed from an act of imitation into one of cultural affirmation, a legacy carried forward today by contemporary artists who continue to expand African visual identity.

“The Zaria Rebels preached on the use of natural synthesis, which experiments with different forms, motifs and patterns; these materials are often sourced locally,” printmaker Dr. Kunle Adeyemi told Observer. The processes and methods championed by the rebels remain visible today in West African modern art, which draws heavily on local culture and environments and, as Adeyemi notes, is not created for the Western gaze. “My work is to document and tell the stories of who we are by using locally sourced materials, which gives it a unique and traditional essence.”

An abstract print depicts a figure pushing a bicycle loaded with goods, surrounded by silhouetted figures and patterned designs on a yellow backdrop.

His practice embodies a broader generational continuity—one that is equally evident in the work of the emerging artists featured in the exhibition. This cultural shift places African perspectives at the center of art, printmaking and cultural production, opening the door for a new wave of contemporary artists deeply rooted in African expression. Among them is Adedamola Onadeko, a printmaker whose work reflects evolving narratives shaped by local heritage. “Like the Zaria Rebels, I employ vibrant, bold colors, moving away from colonial art norms to embrace a dynamic African-inspired palette. The incorporation of natural elements such as flora and fauna is a direct nod to the Rebels’ emphasis on indigenous themes and cultural identity. Ultimately, my works embody the spirit of innovation and cultural exploration championed by the Zaria Rebels, celebrating and amplifying African voices.”

At the heart of this cultural awakening is a renewed commitment to local storytelling. Institutions such as the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar and the Musée Théodore Monod are embracing community-led exhibitions and multi-language labels, dismantling long-standing hierarchies between curators and audiences. Nigeria’s soon-to-launch Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) in Benin City, led by Nigerian-born architect Sir David Adjaye, is positioned to challenge Eurocentric exhibition models and elevate African storytelling. EMOWAA is conceived not as another repository of objects but as a stage for narrative-driven exhibitions that mirror the ways art lives in festivals, oral traditions and communal rituals. Artifacts will no longer sit as inert relics in vitrines stripped of context; they will serve as vessels of performance, memory and identity. Institutions like the Nubuke Foundation in Accra and the Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos are already pioneering these alternative approaches to exhibition and education—frameworks that reject the Western gaze in favor of local perspectives.

A digital collage presents a dark-skinned figure with a large blue flower for a head and colorful flowers for clothing, surrounded by flying birds on a deep blue background.

The push for restitution of looted African artifacts—galvanized by initiatives like the 2018 Sarr-Savoy report—has reignited calls for accountability and cultural sovereignty. While headlines have spotlighted high-profile returns such as the Benin Bronzes, the deeper movement reaches far beyond physical objects. At stake are questions of ownership, memory and power. This shift no longer hinges on European approval. African curators, scholars and activists are building their own museums, archives and digital repatriation platforms. New academic programs and pan-African cultural policies are embedding restitution into broader movements for justice, education and economic empowerment. Together, these efforts signal a systemic commitment to reclaim narrative power, not merely possession.

Digital tools are propelling this transformation forward. Projects such as Savama-DCI’s digitization of the Timbuktu manuscripts and the Museum Futures Africa platform are prying open access to cultural heritage once locked in colonial archives or left dormant in under-resourced collections. By digitizing and documenting African artifacts, these initiatives equip museums to share collections across borders, engage communities in storytelling and reshape curatorial practice. This approach undermines the traditional gatekeeping of African history while fostering decentralized, collaborative networks of knowledge. It also allows institutions to virtually exhibit traditional works that might otherwise be dismissed or excluded, drawing in new audiences and expanding connections.

As the global art world continues to wrestle with its colonial past, West Africa has already moved on. Conditional returns and long-term loans from European institutions too often framed restitution as a favor, not a right, while imposing restrictions on ownership, display and conservation—mechanisms designed to retain control under the guise of generosity. Today, West African institutions are charting their own course, pursuing something more enduring: the radical reintegration of tradition, innovation and sovereignty. Restitution is no longer a question of returning what was taken. It is about shifting the very center of art’s identity and entrusting African voices—artists, historians and storytellers—to decide how culture is shared, curated and lived.

A digital collage shows a dark-skinned figure with a large pink flower for a head and multicolored flowers covering the body, with small birds flying against a gray background.