African Artists’ Foundation (AAF)

African Artists’ Foundation (AAF)

African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and developing contemporary African art. The organization focuses on capacity building, peer support and advocacy.

AAF was established in 2007 by Azu Nwagbogu to encourage the highest standard of art in Africa. Azu is Director of the foundation and was previously the Interim Director/Chief Curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art in South Africa.

AAF serves a significant role in art and academic communities through organizing art exhibitions, festivals, competitions, residencies, and workshops to discover and develop talent, creating societal awareness, and providing a platform to express creativity. The Foundation assists professional and emerging artists in Africa and supports international exhibitions and community outreach programmes across Africa. By these productive acts, AAF views the contribution to a strong cultural landscape in Africa as a transformative element in driving social change.

The Foundation hosts various exhibition programmes and workshops including The AAF Gallery, Art Base Africa, CDI (Capacity Development Integration), Arts and Health Programme, Artists on Activism and Protesting, and more at its gallery in Lagos. Its gallery is located at 3B Isiola Oyekan Close, Off Adeleke Adedoyin, Victoria Island, Lagos. It is open between 10:00 am and 05:00 pm on Mondays – Fridays and 12:00 pm to 06:00 pm on Saturdays.

In addition to its exciting programmes, AAF organizes two flagship projects annually – the LagosPhoto Festival and the National Art Competition.

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The LagosPhoto Festival

Launched in 2010, the LagosPhoto is the first and only international arts festival of photography in Nigeria. The festival includes events such as exhibitions, workshops, artist presentations, discussions, screenings, and large scale outdoor prints displayed throughout the city to reclaim public spaces and the general public with various stories of Africa. LagosPhoto projects a contemporary and historical visual essay of the continent to both a local and global audience.

The National Art Competition

The National Art Competition is an annual art competition organized by AAF. Each edition is driven by important themes in line with current social issues. For six years, the National Art Competition has showcased emerging talent through diverse mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, installation, and video art. 

With a focus on the processes of artistic creation rather than solely the end product, the National Art Competition requires artists to submit a proposal for an unrealized work. After hundreds of entries, twelve finalists are invited to take part in an artist retreat, where workshops by leading artists, professors, curators, and arts professionals allow finalists to map out the concepts of their proposal and work together in a studio environment. Each year, the competition awards cash prizes totalling four and a half million Naira and provides both national and international exposure and exhibition opportunities for the artists.

Learn more about AAF on africanartists.org