Using sound, photography, and food respectively, artists Emeka Ogboh, Iké Udé, and Temitayo Ogunbiyi with chef Renèe Chuks question assumptions concerning culture, geography, and identity. By appealing to the senses, these artists urge audiences to remember and recognize the complexity inherent in representation; natural, spiritual, and social ecosystems; and the performances within everyday life.

Taste! is a platform for creative encounters centering on a multifaceted, far-reaching Lagos. Realized in collaboration with the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), ART X Lagos, and the African Artists’ Foundation. Taste! is the foundation experience of 24 Hours of the Smithsonian in Lagos, the inaugural event that launches the National Museum of African Art’s new international presence.

Kwanzaa, celebrated annually from December 26 to January 1, is an international holiday that honors African heritage in the diaspora and African American culture. A harvest festival, Kwanzaa is organized around the Nguzo Saba, seven guiding principles that are celebrated individually each day of the holiday.

The principles included are:

Umoja (unity)
Kujichagulia (self-determination)
Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
Nia (purpose)
Kuumba (creativity)
Imani (faith)

Each of the seven candles on the kinara signifies a principle.
For more information about Kwanzaa, visit www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org.

Activity

Explore our collection and discover works of African art that identify with each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Archive from October 28, 2021

Discover the wonderful world of cartooning and animation as we celebrate Black History Month in the UK. British-born, Nigerian artist TAYO Fatunla is a comic artist and editorial cartoonist best known for his feature OUR ROOTS.