Despite good intentions, art from Africa often gets a raw deal away from home. It’s lumbered with outdated stereotypes, and lumped together as one African art scene. So it’s no surprise Annabelle Nwankwo- Mu’azu was able to secure involvement from established regional talent, as well as Africa’s future art stars, when curating As It Is! The result is an ambitious series of exhibitions in international hub Dubai, showcasing the best of contemporary art from Africa. As It Is!, says exhibition patron and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka is, “ a most essential dimension of creative dialogue between vibrant cultures... While art unites, all too often alas, politics divides.”

As It Is! features 24 outstanding artists from Africa and the diaspora in the Middle East’s first group exhibition of modern African art. Three consecutive exhibitions, all held at Dubai’s Mojo Gallery, lead up to a grand finale and auction in March to coincide with the Middle East’s foremost contemporary art fair, Art Dubai.

REINVENTING AFRICAN ART