January was a festive month, as Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations. In honor of this competition, here are three African artists to know, whose work showcases the cultures of this continent on the international stage. Through the artistic practices of Thebe Magugu, Malick Bodian, and Toyin Ojih Odutola, a profound reflection emerges on identity, cultural heritage, and the contemporary representation of African cultures. Whether in fashion, photography, or drawing, these three creators explore the social, historical, and personal dynamics that shape individuals.
Thebe Magugu
Thebe Magugu is a designer born in 1993 who grew up and studied in South Africa. In 2016, he founded his eponymous label, and in 2019, he became the first African to win the LVMH Prize. His work is driven by a profound desire to redefine the act of designing and purchasing a clothing collection. Through a multidisciplinary practice, Thebe Magugu highlights his region and the African continent, drawing inspiration from them as well as informing the world. He embraces contemporary fashion while trusting in the craftsmanship of his country. Looking to the future, he advocates for self-knowledge, an understanding of one's heritage and past, as well as the union of preserved culture and new social structures.
In parallel, Thebe Magugu is developing an editorial project, "Faculty Press," which allows him to put words to his artistic research, the traditions of his country, and his inspirations. He is thus developing a genuine cultural activity that also informs his work as a designer, as the majority of his collections are conceived from these reflections. For example, in the "Heritage" series, he celebrates the mother-child bond in nine South African cultures with a collection of long dresses featuring faces painted by the artist Phathu Nembilwi. The essays for this project, written by professors ME Chauke, JD Mokoena, and MC Matlakala, explain the folk rituals and beliefs related to motherhood in each culture. This collaborative work is also evident in his "Heritage III: Lobola Negotiations" collection (2024), photographed by Imraan Christian, which honors 18 emblematic South African women and men who have made their voices heard. A committed and visionary artist deeply touched by the traditions of his country, Thebe Magugu reveals to us through his creations a rich history and symbols unknown in the West.
Malick Bodian
Photographer and model Malick Bodian creates portraits that redefine cultural stereotypes. Born in Dakar, Senegal, he entered the fashion world through modeling. Gradually, he moved behind the lens, driven by a desire not only to "carry" a message as a model, but to imagine it and then translate it into images. Inspired by a poetic approach, his photographs reflect a strong attachment to community and diversity, nurtured by his African heritage. Grounded in reality, they remain devoid of any superficiality. The landscapes of his childhood and memories of his native environment permeate his aesthetic.
Alongside his professional commitments, Malick Bodian creates authentic photographic series during his travels in his native continent. In 2025, he published a book titled adolescencewhich evokes the evolution of a child into adulthood. Through this act of bearing witness, informed by his own experience, he offers a different perspective on the rites of passage of adolescence. That same year, he completed a film project entitled The Voice of the Sun, where he shares his reflections on the quest for self and the profound connection between a man and his homeland. His work takes on a particular significance in light of his journey as a young African model navigating a superficial, Western industry. In a way, it's a dual quest: while the model grapples with constructing his identity, the photographer seeks to discover how he wishes to view the world.
Toyin Ojih Odutola
Born in Nigeria in 1985, artist Toyin Ojih Odutola immigrated to the southern United States at the age of five and now resides in New York City. Her work focuses on the sociopolitical construction of skin color, which she explores primarily through drawing, posing the central question: “What does it mean to be Black?” This question resonates deeply with her, as she, as a Black woman, has had to adapt to American culture and the limitations it imposes. Through her portraits, she delicately explores the emotions and gestures of her subjects. Determined to illuminate the social dynamics between individuals with different identities, she offers a unique perspective on skin, darkness, light, and body language.
Many of her paintings challenge colonial history and power dynamics, inviting reflection on perceptions of African expression and sexual orientation. She imbues her work with a lyrical dimension through her use of color and the effects created using traditional drawing techniques such as charcoal, pastel, chalk, and black ballpoint pen. She explores themes of legitimacy, rejection, love, and self-acceptance by constructing fictional narratives. Her work thus raises questions of identity and tolerance that society continues to grapple with and struggles to address. In her most recent exhibition at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in Berlin, she traced the lives of several fictional characters through various trials to illustrate the ongoing interactions and shifts in the contemporary world.
The Enlightenment of the Second Son
Thus, Thebe Magugu, Malick Bodian, and Toyin Ojih Odutola each contribute in their own way to a redefinition of contemporary narratives related to Black identity and African cultural heritage. Through socially engaged fashion, meaningful photographic imagery, or expressive and narrative drawings, they question stereotypes, celebrate traditions, and explore the tensions between memory and modernity.
Grandmother, Sarata Baradji. Balingor, Senegal, 2021
