The talk convenes art historians, curators, collectors, and enthusiasts to critically examine the oeuvre and legacy of Ben Enwonwu, a pioneering Nigerian modernist. The programme will feature in-depth analyses of Enwonwu's innovative synthesis of traditional African art and modernist idioms, with a focus on his impact on global artistic trends and the contemporary art market.
About the Speakers
Oliver Enwonwu
Founder & Executive Director, The Ben Enwonwu Foundation
Oliver Enwonwu is a third-generation artist and the son of Africa’s pioneering modernist, Ben Enwonwu. His paintings explore liminal spaces, decoloniality, and narratives of the body, drawing on ancestral knowledge and personal histories to reimagine futures. With over 20 years’ experience as a curator, art administrator, and publisher, he is the founder and executive director of The Ben Enwonwu Foundation and sits on the board of the Lagos Biennial. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and former President of the Society of Nigerian Artists (2011–2021), he also publishes Omenka magazine and was the first recipient of the Akoje Residency at Dumfries House, Scotland, in 2024.
Hannah O’Leary
Senior Advisor, Modern African Art / Senior Director & Head of Modern & Contemporary African Art, Sotheby’s, London
Hannah O’Leary is a leading authority on modern and contemporary African art. At Sotheby’s, she spearheads auctions and advises global collectors, driving international recognition of African artists. With over 20 years of experience, she has been instrumental in building some of the world’s most significant collections of African art.
Mary Evans
Contemporary Artist; Director, Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, London
Mary Evans is a Nigerian-born contemporary artist celebrated for her large-scale cut-paper installations that explore themes of history, identity, and diaspora. In 2023, she was appointed Director of the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London, making her one of the most influential voices in shaping the next generation of artists.
Nike Awoyinka
Nike Awoyinka is the founder and CEO of Inklar, a London-based consultancy specialising in the African creative industries, and previously led global marketing teams at prominent UK creative institutions. She also champions BIPOC women’s visibility in the media and serves in community leadership roles, including as a trustee and local parish council member.
Louis Jebb
Managing Editor, Right Click Save
Louis Jebb is Managing Editor of Right Click Save, a leading editorial platform dedicated to digital art and Web3 culture. Prior to this role, he served as managing editor of The Art Newspaper, where he specialised in coverage of digital innovation, VR/XR, and emergent media. He is also the founder of immersiv.ly, one of the first platforms to produce virtual-reality formats for news and cultural reporting, and has advised on immersive media projects across journalism and the arts.
Michael Graham-Stewart
Independent Art Collector, Dealer & Photographer, specialising in historical and indigenous photography
Michael Graham-Stewart is an independent collector, dealer, and photographer whose work focuses on the intersections of colonial history, indigenous representation, and visual culture. Over three decades, he has assembled and published significant collections of historical photographs and ephemera, including acclaimed volumes such as Out of Time: Māori & the Photographer 1860–1940 and Surviving the Lens. His research also extends to Nigeria, where he has studied and preserved photographs of Ben Enwonwu, adding valuable visual context to the life and work of Africa’s foremost modernist.
