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This is a hit-and-miss exhibition, but when it hits, it hits very hard indeed. Opening to catch the end of Black History Month, Say My Name features work by 13 African contemporary artists, all inspired by an episode or figure from black history.

Seventeen oil and acrylic paintings by contemporary artist, Oluwole Omofemi, are on display in London, in his ongoing solo art exhibition titled The Way We Were.

The works, on display at Signature Art Gallery in London, depict women on Afro hairdo and some bald women, the-twin signature style of the artist. The exhibition which opened on 12 March, is a splendour of African beauty. 

Selma director Ava Duvernay says she wants to “change minds” with an exhibition bringing the Black Lives Matter movement into the heart of London's art world. The 48-year-old, whose films include the Oscar-nominated 2014 civil rights drama and Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time, has teamed up with Mayfair gallery Signature African Art for the show. It features paintings and sculptures by 13 African artists and honours George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, whose killings at the hands of police in the US inspired the BLM movement.

We’ve picked 13 artists, seven female and six male, all of which are based in Africa. We wanted to be the bridge that connects artists from the continent and issues that are taking place in the continent with what’s happening in Europe and the US. As far as I know, it has never really been done before

The curatorial process was rooted in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The vision was to shine a light on things that need to change in society including how Black people are perceived and treated in the global community. Ava and I discussed this theme at length for Say My Name, which also aligned with the topics raised in her 13th documentary for Netflix. 

Over the last decade there has been consistent growth in interest and price for modern and contemporary African artists. While this has largely been true outside of the continent, there is now a growing class of collectors domestically operating in Africa itself. One of these collectors, Rahman Akar, has been doing so for over thirty years.

I am very honoured and proud as this is another big milestone of which I know is leading me into the next stage of my career and it is building on the journey I started as a village boy collecting clay from the river 18 years ago. This win is not only a win for Kgole, but a win for all Africans and youngsters who aspire for greatness and want to have their voice heard.

Signature African Art opens its new London space on 11 March 2020 with a presentation of new paintings by the celebrated Nigerian artist, Oluwole Omofemi.

Entitled The Way We WereThe Were, the exhibition will be arranged across the gallery’s basement and ground floors, and is formed of 12 large-scale portraits of women and children, as well as a number of smaller works specially commissioned by the gallery.