Gavin Goodman, “Vela #4,” 2025. Mixed media with hand-painted finish on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of FILAFRIQUES)
In the next few weeks, New York will practically be buzzing with art fairs. This month, the Other Art Fair will land in Brooklyn; then, come May, Frieze will return to the Shed in Hudson Yards, and NADA will take over the Starrett-Lehigh Building just a couple of blocks away. But NADA won’t be the only art fair held in this iconic Chelsea building on May 13–17. The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will also join this year’s circuit, gathering more than 20 exhibitors from Lagos, São Paulo, London, Johannesburg, Paris, and everywhere in between.
Since founding the fair nearly 15 years ago, Touria El Glaoui has worked tirelessly to uplift African art through 1-54. Even the fair’s name hints at that pursuit, cleverly referencing the 54 countries that make up the African continent. In spite of this, El Glaoui cautions that 1-54 isn’t limited to the continent itself or the artists operating within its borders. Rather, the fair elevates a vast spectrum of African creativity, recognizing diasporic practices as well.
“1-54 was born from a clear need to create a dedicated platform for contemporary African art and its diasporas at a time when visibility was still limited on the global stage,” El Glaoui tells My Modern Met. “Since its launch in London in 2013, the fair has contributed to a broader recognition of artists by creating meaningful connections between galleries, collectors, institutions, and audiences.”
For its 12th edition in New York, 1-54 will uphold that level of excellence, embracing not just the vibrancy but complexity of African narratives. That’s precisely why the fair prioritizes unexpected entry points into the African diaspora—and why, this year, we’ll have the chance to encounter Afro-Brazilian art with unprecedented focus.
“Brazil Beyond Brazil, curated by Igor Simões, will place Afro-Brazilian artistic practices at the center of the conversation and expand the fair’s exploration of transnational diasporic narratives,” El Glaoui explains. “Across the fair, visitors can expect a strong mix of emerging and established voices, with presentations that reflect the diversity and evolution of contemporary African art.”
It’s true: 1-54 will once again span an ambitious slate of artists, galleries, and exhibitions. Gallery Article 15 of Washington, D.C., for instance, will celebrate the late Chéri Chérin, whose striking paintings reimagined pop art and its aesthetics through the lens of Blackness. Loeve&Co, on the other hand, will showcase works by the modernist pioneer Marcel Gotène, who often played with the bold color palettes and graphic figures typical of the Poto Poto school. Taken together, visitors will encounter everything from surrealist collages and multimedia photographs, to illustrative paintings and intricate wooden panels.
“Rather than positioning African art as a subsection within a broader fair, 1-54 offers a dedicated space where diverse practices and perspectives can be presented on their own terms,” El Glaoui adds.
Equally important to El Glaoui, though, is the fair’s emphasis on dialogue. “The Talks Program and the wider VIP Program extend beyond the fair itself, engaging with local institutions, artists, and cultural practitioners,” she tells us. This year’s special projects, talks, and collaborations are yet to be revealed, but if previous editions are any indication, they’ll certainly “create a dynamic network that connects different art scenes and audiences,” as El Glaoui puts it.
“The fair allows for a multiplicity of narratives to unfold organically through the presentations of each gallery,” she concludes. “This reflects the complexity of contemporary African and diasporic art, which cannot be reduced to a single perspective.”
The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will be on view in the Starrett-Lehigh Building from May 13 to May 17, 2026. To learn more about this year’s program, visit the 1-54 website.
Next month, the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will return to New York, alongside other concurrent events like Frieze and NADA.
Maxwell Taylor, “Focus,” 2022. Linocut on paper. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist)
Chéri Chérin, “Un Sapeur Sachant Saper,” 2020. Oil on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of Gallery Article 15)
Candice Tavares, “Inside,” 2026. Mixed media wood on panel. (Photo: Courtesy of Tanya Weddemire Gallery)
Deborah Segun, “Lost in Thought,” 2025. Acrylic on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of O’DA Art)
Joseph Eze, “Totem (no 7),” 2024. Acrylic, deskjet print-outs, magazine cut-outs, and gold leaf on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of FILAFRIQUES)
Marcel Gotène, “Untitled,” ca. 1960. Gouache on paper. (Photo: Courtesy of Loeve&Co.)
Lavett Ballard, “Sister Circle,” 2026. Mixed media collage on reclaimed wood panel. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Myrtis)
For its 12th edition in the city, 1-54 will explore Afro-Brazilian art alongside other African and diasporic practices, as presented by more than 20 exhibitors.
Renan Teles, “Pristine Land,” 2024. Oil on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist)
Nathaniel Sheppard III, “The Softest Blow,” 2026. Oil and collage on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of kumalo | turpin)
Boemo Diale, “Street lights and flowers,” 2025. Mixed media on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of kumalo | turpin)
Tuere Nicole, “Sundays Best,” 2025. Oil on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Picture Theory)
Reggie Khumalo, “I’m all in one,” 2024. Acrylic and fabric on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of FILAFRIQUES)
Rommulo Vieira Conceição, “The physical space requires the other to be either ally or enemy, N12.3,” 2025. PVC, resin, and automotive paint. (Photo: Courtesy of Aura)
Serge Attukwei Clottey, “High Neck,” 2022. Oil on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of Blond Contemporary)
Sophia Bounou, “Cirrus,” 2025. Acrylic paint, acrylic paint marker, and gloss varnish on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of Blond Contemporary)
Sulette van der Merwe, “Pretending,” 2021. Acrylic paint on board. (Photo: Courtesy of Blond Contemporary)
Tafadzwe Masudi, “Murindi the Guard,” 2022. Acrylic on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of Blond Contemporary)
Victoria Oniosun, “Days Like This,” 2025. Oil on canvas. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist)
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Sutton Communications.
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