Yenwa Gallery makes its debut at FNB Art Joburg 2024 with a presentation featuring Atinuke Badmus (Nigeria) and Nthabiseng Kekana (South Africa). Bringing together two artists whose practices engage questions of identity, spirituality, and emotional experience, the presentation reflects the gallery’s commitment to fostering dialogue across the African continent through carefully considered pairings of emerging and mid-career voices.

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Working through vibrant figuration and expressive materiality, Atinuke Badmus’ paintings celebrate the strength, resilience, and interior lives of African women. Her bold color palettes and dynamic compositions draw from contemporary African culture while foregrounding themes of empowerment, intimacy, and collective memory. In contrast, in conversation, Nthabiseng Boledi Kekadi’s mixed-media works explore the body as a site of reflection and transformation. Through layered surfaces, symbolic gestures, and tactile materials, her practice meditates on spirituality, selfhood, and the emotional landscapes that shape personal identity.

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Presented together, the works highlight distinct yet interconnected visual languages that examine the relationship between personal histories and shared cultural experience. Yenwa Gallery’s participation at FNB Art Joburg 2024 underscores its curatorial focus on amplifying contemporary African perspectives while building meaningful connections between artists working across the continent