1-54’s Smart, Sharp Selection of Contemporary African Art Shines in New York

It’s possible that 1-54 New York has hit upon the formula for the perfectly sized art fair. At least, that’s what you’d think from talking to gallerists and collectors who attended the event’s preview day.

Across the three floors of its location on West 127th Street in Harlem, the fair’s 2023 event has 26 exhibitors, up from 24 last year. As interest in contemporary African art grows, 1-54’s geographic focus is seeming to pay off, with a collegial atmosphere between galleries, and collectors lingering for long conversations (sometimes in French, mostly in English). On opening day, it made for a sharp, concise selection of art, allowing visitors to fully engage with each booth.

Figurative paintings are everywhere, including stunning surrealistic worlds conjured by Ronald Hall at Duane Thomas’s booth, and Dawit Abebe’s depictions of hands at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery. Abebe’s works were “flying off the walls,” the gallerist said, as her team continued to rehang more of the artist’s works. At LatchKey Gallery, meanwhile, Josie Love Roebuck’s mixed-media wall hangings express the complexities of growing up biracial; she is among several artists at the fair working with textiles.

“It’s a soulful fair,” said Iliya Fridman, whose eponymous gallery is showing fabric and clay canvases by Surinamese artist Remy Jungerman, alongside prints from Dindga McCannon and charcoals by Tigist Yoseph Ron. The gallery had sold four of Ron’s works on the first day. Fridman noted that interest in these reasonably priced works ($2,000–$5,000) was coming from new buyers who had discovered the work through the fair.

“There’s a nice pace,” agreed Oyinkansola Dada, founder of DADA Gallery, who had traveled from London, and noted that, perhaps surprisingly, the New York edition of 1-54 was less intense than the London iteration had been in the past. By the end of the fair’s first day, DADA’s entire booth had sold out of its expressive, figurative abstract paintings, priced from £5,000–£22,000 ($6,218–$27,358), by the young Nigerian artist Fidelis Joseph, who was also in attendance, enjoying a tour of the booths.

Like many gallerists, Dada noted that she was seeing familiar faces at the New York edition of the fair. Collectors, she said, were traveling across the globe to visit each iteration of the fair, which, founded in 2013, now has iterations in Marrakech, London, and New York. “The turnout to this year’s fair has far exceeded our expectations, and it really feels like we’re back post-Covid,” said 1-54 director Touria El Glaoui. “Several exhibitors have sold out their booths and our VIP preview saw the beginning of some interesting conversations between our gallerists and curators, collectors and institutions.”

Wunika Mukan Gallery (which was previously known as Pacers gallery) is participating in its first art fair off the African continent, with a dual booth of paintings by Zimbabwean artist Option Nyahunzvi, and Nigerian Edozie Anedu. “They are both speaking about African spirituality,” explained Mukan, the gallery’s director, who said she had made several sales already, and had plenty of interest. She was also learning a lot from the other booths’ presentations, she said.

Also attending 1-54 New York from Lagos for the first time is kó, showing an all-Nigerian booth: coffee-stained, monochrome portrait collages by Mobolaji Ogunrosoye alongside bright paintings from Adébayo Bolaji and a richly detailed wall-mounted sculpture resembling an armory garment by Ozioma Onuzulike.

Galleries from the U.S. were having great success: Spinello Projects, which is presenting a solo booth of Jared McGriff’s dreamlike scenes of everyday family life, had completely sold out on the first day, with prices ranging from $12,000–$55,000. Three works were placed with the Hort Family Collection, and another with the Jasteka Foundation. “We are thrilled to debut at 1-54 this year,” said Spinello, the gallery’s founder and director. “The scale and overall vibe of the fair is a breath of fresh air and a standout amongst a pretty crowded art week.”

New York’s Eric Firestone Gallery is showing a solo booth of ceramic works by Sana Musasama, an African American artist who has been working since the 1970s, drawing inspiration from her activist work with international communities of women. On the first day, four works had been sold to “significant private collectors,” the gallery’s director said, including a large standing sculpture from the artist’s “Maple Tree Series” (1979–83), as well as smaller works that dot the booth’s walls; prices range from $8,000–$75,000.