Bisi Silva's CCA Lagos Legacy Celebrated with 2026 Commemorative Portrait by Sasha Huber
In 2026, CCA Lagos celebrated its 18th anniversary by revealing "The Firsts"—Bisi Silva: A Portrait of Legacy, a work by Sasha Huber. This event follows initiatives in 2025 that honored Silva, the founder of the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, established in December 2007, where she served as artistic director until her passing on February 12, 2019. Silva (1962–2019) completed her MA at the Royal College of Art in 1996 and began her journey as an independent curator, organizing notable exhibitions such as The Progress of Love and J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere: Moments of Beauty. Additionally, CCA Lagos launched the Àsìkò art school in 2010 and maintains an archive that showcases contemporary African art, indicating a transformation in knowledge production.
Key facts
- Bisi Silva founded the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos (CCA Lagos) in December 2007.
- Silva died on February 12, 2019; she was born Olabisi "Bisi" Obafunke Silva (1962–2019).
- She earned an MA from the Royal College of Art in London in 1996.
- In 2026, CCA Lagos presented Sharing "The Firsts"—Bisi Silva: A Portrait of Legacy, featuring a commemorative portrait by Sasha Huber, unveiled during the institution's 18th anniversary.
- In 2025, CCA Lagos presented archival and commemorative projects connected to Silva's life and influence.
- Silva served as artistic director of the 10th Bamako Encounters in 2015 and on the jury of the 55th Venice Biennale.
- She curated The Progress of Love with the Menil Collection and the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, and J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere: Moments of Beauty with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Kiasma, for ARS 11 in Helsinki.
- CCA Lagos launched the Àsìkò art school in 2010 to address gaps in critical methodologies and histories within artistic practice in Nigeria and other African countries.
Entities
Artists
- Bisi Silva
- Olabisi Obafunke Silva
- Sasha Huber
- Jelili Atiku
- Wura-Natasha Ogunji
- Temitayo Ogunbiyi
- Valerie Oka
- J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere
- Zanele Muholi
- Yinka Shonibare
- Victor Ekpuk
- Wole Lagunju
- Kristina Van Dyke
- Susan Sutton
- Aura Seikkula
- Antawan I. Byrd
- Pirkko Siitari
- Arja Miller
- Jari-Pekka Vanhala
- Kazeem Adeleke
- Lynne Drexler
- Kathy Ryan
- Katherine Houston
Institutions
- Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos
- CCA Lagos
- The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
- Royal College of Art
- Fourth Dial Art
- Dak'Art
- Bamako Encounters
- Thessaloniki Biennale
- Menil Collection
- Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts
- Foto Ojeikere
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Kiasma
- ARS 11
- Future Generation Art Prize
- 55th Venice Biennale
- Àsìkò
- Yaba College of Technology
- ARTCENTRON
- New Orleans Museum of Art
- Africa Now
Locations
- Lagos
- Nigeria
- London
- United Kingdom
- Senegal
- Mali
- Thessaloniki
- Greece
- Houston
- United States
- St. Louis
- Helsinki
- Finland
- Accra
- Ghana
- Dakar
- Johannesburg
- South Africa
- Nairobi
- Kenya
- Benin Kingdom
- Baltimore