The Rele Arts Foundation is pleased to present the 9th edition of the Young Contemporaries programme. Initiated in 2016, the programme identifies, mentors and promotes early-career artists from Africa, by equipping them with tools and resources for artistic development. Each year, the Foundation guides artists via its boot camp and residency programme in Ado-Ekiti towards the creation of critical projects, encouraging innovative explorations of existing inquiries as well as the birth of fresh ideas. This year, the artists received guidance under the mentorship of Dr. Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi (Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture at MOMA, NewYork).
This year’s edition presents new projects by four artists —Praise Sanni-Adeniyi, David Ngaji, Atinuke Macaulay-Layinde and Salomon Moneyang — working across traditional two-dimensional mediums in engaging complex issues from shifting states of being and the nature of existence to family dynamics and relationships. The Young Contemporaries 2024 project presents the audience with a collection of distinct and exciting perspectives on contemporary issues while also drawing attention to the exciting and critical work being done by a younger generation of contemporary African artists.