Dr Will Rea contributes to new Nigerian Modernism exhibition at Tate Modern in London
The first UK exhibition to trace the development of modern art in Nigeria features key contributions from Dr Will Rea, Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds.
Set against the backdrop of cultural and artistic rebellion, Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern celebrates the achievements of Nigerian artists working before and after the decade of national independence from British colonial rule in 1960.
Nigerian Modernism tells the story of artistic networks which spanned Zaria, Ibadan, Lagos and Enugu, as well as London, Munich and Paris.
Through groups like the Zaria Art Society and Mbari Artists' and Writers' Club, they fused Nigerian, African and European techniques and traditions to create vibrant, multidimensional works.
Cover of Black Orpheus: A Journal of African and Afro-American Literature, Issue no 19 (edited by Wole Soyinka). Private collection.
Dr Will Rea is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies. His research concerns the masquerades of the Ekiti Yoruba in Nigeria – this work investigates issues of identity in performance as well as the relationship between transformation and materiality in Yoruba thought.
Dr Rea was a key consultant to the exhibition, contributing a chapter to the exhibition catalogue and providing insight, advice and material support to this celebration of Nigerian art in the 20th Century.
Will has pioneered the teaching of African art history at the University of Leeds, opening out the curriculum to the Arts of Africa, in both their classical traditions and modernist forms.
His recent work with archives in Special Collections at the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds (alongside a team of undergraduate students) opened out the rich legacy of writer, playwright and Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka. This will be the basis for an exhibition of Nigerian art at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery in 2026.
Dr Will Rea.
Dr Will Rea said:
“Spanning a period from indirect colonial rule to national independence and beyond, Nigerian Modernism celebrates an international network of artists who combined African and European traditions, creating a vibrant artistic legacy.
“The exhibition presents the work of over 50 artists across 50 years, from Ben Enwonwu to El Anatsui. They each responded to Nigeria’s evolving political and social landscape by challenging assumptions and imagining new futures, reclaiming Indigenous traditions to create a new African vision of Modernism.
“Featuring more than 250 works, including painting, sculpture, textile, ceramics and works on paper from institutions and private collections across Africa, Europe and the US, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to encounter the creative forces who revolutionised modern art in Nigeria.
Jimo Akolo, Fulani Horsemen, 1962. © Reserved. Courtesy Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.
More information
Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern opened on 8 October and runs to 10 May 2026. Full details about the exhibition can be found on the Tate Modern website.
Find out about Dr Will Rea’s research.
Feature image
Installation Photography, Nigerian Modernism, Tate Modern, 8 October 2025 – 10 May 2026 © Tate Photography (Jai Monaghan).
