Nigeria and South Africa find common ground through art at RMB Latitudes 2026
· Citizen
RMB Latitudes Art Fair placed Nigeria at the centre of its 2026 International Focus programme, a move organisers say is less about politics and more about recognising the strength of two creative powerhouses on the continent.
The programme opened with a curated exhibition at MILIKI in Lagos on 15 April 2026, before culminating at the fair in Johannesburg from 22 to 24 May 2026. The fair brought together a selection of contemporary Nigerian artists who first exhibited in the celebrated Nigerian city before presenting their work within the Nigeria Pavilion at the fair.
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The International Focus programme, which has run since 2023 and focused on Botswana last year, combines in-country exhibitions with presentations at the fair, creating what organisers describe as a platform for cross-continental exchange.
Why Nigeria? Why now?
The decision to spotlight Nigeria at Latitudes was rooted in a shared recognition of creative and economic momentum.
Curator Boitumelo Makousu, who led the project, was clear that the choice was not a political statement, even as questions arose about the backdrop of xenophobic tensions between South Africa and Nigeria.
“It was more about currency. Here are two powerful countries, strong economies and doing quite strongly creatively. How about we connect? How about we collaborate?” she said.
Makousu acknowledged that the timing inevitably carries weight. One of the works on show, titled One Road, Two Souls, speaks directly to the relationship between the two countries.
“For me as a curator, it wraps it all up, that South Africa and Nigeria are connecting through the arts,” she told The Citizen. “These are two powerful countries that have created the strongest creative pattern. Why has it been that we haven’t really connected as we should on the continent?”
Open call and the selection process
The Nigeria Pavilion featured more than 33 artists, all selected through an open call. To be considered, artists needed to be based in or actively practising in Nigeria. Beyond that, Makousu was looking for versatility, work that could create meaningful dialogue with South African audiences while remaining true to Nigerian artistic identity.
“One thing that I realised when I was in Lagos is that the arts are bold, empowered and they take up space,” she said. “So you’ll see, even with the selection, we tried as much to also have works that are a bit smaller, because normally Nigerian artists, when they create a body of work, they’re huge.”
The selection reflects a wide range of voices and practices.
Chidinma Mordi’s gold leaf work speaks to Abuja’s cultural identity. Taiwo Owoyemi brought traditional woodwork embedded with symbolism drawn from archaeological sites. Caroline Useh works with cotton tape on canvas.
“This one speaks about heritage, this one speaks about personal conservation of cultural heritage, this one speaks about intimacy and personal experiences,” Makousu explained the artworks.
“I think we’re dealing with so many things around identity and everyone’s trying to find something.”
The work itself: Women, textiles and economic power
A significant thread which ran through the pavilion was a focus on womanhood and empowerment. Several works centre the Black female figure, using materials and symbolism that carry specific cultural weight.
One artist, Samuel Inalegwu, works on canvas using sacks – the kind traditionally used to store coffee beans, sugar cane or palm produce – as both medium and metaphor.
“I asked him why it was women figures in this body of work, and he was just like, it was empowering a young black woman,” Makousu recalled.
A woman looks at Inalegwu’s artwork in the Nigerian-curated exhibition at MILIKI in Lagos. Image: Latitudes RMB/ Supplied“You’ll see that she’s also wearing a suit; it’s for young women to be able to have power and to really fight for spaces and be empowered.”
Makousu described wanting the pavilion to feel grounded and intentional, like a space worth inhabiting. Having spent time in Lagos ahead of the fair, she drew on her experience of the city’s energy.
“I experienced it as a lot of fun; it was very serene,” she said. “So I wanted to bring that aspect and make it feel like a place to be.”
What changed between Lagos and Johannesburg
The works shown in Lagos and those presented at Latitudes in Johannesburg are not identical. Logistics played a role, with some pieces held up in customs and others sold during the Lagos presentation, requiring Makousu to rethink the hang. She installed on the Wednesday of opening night, under considerable pressure, and quietly restructured the show.
“Some of the artworks sold, and I just took out more works that made sense,” she said. “As soon as they were out, I was like, next day I’m gonna change it and it played out so well that it looks like nothing really changed, but it became even much more stronger.”
Makousu also noted that most of the artists were unable to travel to Johannesburg due to visa challenges, which meant she carried the responsibility of representing their practices herself.
She said the process was held together by trust. “I think the main thing that was very important is trust and communication between myself and the artists and knowing that I understand their practices,” she said.
An on-the-ground gateway to the culture
The collaboration with Lagos-based Yenwa Gallery was central to the project’s integrity. Makousu was clear that the partnership was not incidental; it was a matter of principle.
“I don’t believe we can just walk up in a country and take over,” she said. “It really allowed us to have someone on the ground that would be able to introduce us to the culture.”
For Makousu, this approach underpins how RMB Latitudes engages with the continent more broadly.
“Working within each country before the fair allows us to collaborate with artists and cultural practitioners in their own contexts,” she said. “This approach helps us build meaningful relationships while presenting work that reflects the richness of each artistic ecosystem.”