Opening day talk with artist Nengi Omuku

Join us on the opening day of Nengi Omuku’s exhibition for a conversation between the artist and Natasha Becker, curator of African art. Together, they will explore Omuku’s painting practice, which examines how sociopolitical conditions shape psychological experience, while also imagining possibilities for refuge and new forms of belonging. Omuku creates dream-like scenes that imagine a better world for young Nigerians. Her figures live in lush forests, tranquil gardens, and along the water’s edge — environments out of reach for many people living in Lagos. In her paintings, nature becomes an important symbol of healing and possibility. By placing her figures in these settings, she envisions a world shaped by care and belonging. Omuku paints on handwoven sanyan, a historic Yoruba textile once worn for important ceremonies. This material choice brings cultural continuity and the passing of knowledge into her work. About the artist Born in 1987 in Warri, Nigeria, Nengi Omuku works primarily with oil paint and sanyan, a hand-woven fabric that serves as the canvas for her paintings. She received her BA (2010) and MA (2012) from the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. Omuku’s first UK institutional solo show, "The Dance of People and the Natural World," opened at Hastings Contemporary in 2023. Her recent presentations span leading museums and biennials worldwide — among them the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, the 15th Dakar Biennale, Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, and exhibitions across Amsterdam, Tokyo, Manchester, New York, and London. About the curator Natasha Becker’s work redefines how African and African diaspora art is experienced in museums. Appointed in 2020 as the inaugural curator of African art at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Becker has led a bold reimagining of the Museums’ African art galleries, launching a new program of contemporary and historical exhibitions that center artists as storytellers and agents of transformation. Becker’s exhibitions — such as "Lhola Amira: Facing the Future" (2022), "Leilah Babirye: We Have a History" (2024), and "Nengi Omuku: The Gathering" (2026) — foreground themes of healing, resilience, and belonging. About the exhibition https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/nen... In her first US solo museum exhibition, painter Nengi Omuku shares dream-like scenes that imagine a better world for young Nigerians. Her figures live in lush forests, tranquil gardens, and along the water’s edge — environments out of reach for many people living in Lagos. In her paintings, nature becomes an important symbol of healing and possibility. By placing her figures in these settings, she envisions a world shaped by care and belonging. Omuku paints on handwoven sanyan, a historic Yoruba textile once worn for important ceremonies. This material choice brings cultural continuity and the passing of knowledge into her work. Watch More The fearless art practice of Leilah Babirye    • The fearless art practice of Leilah Babirye   Step inside Leilah Babirye’s studio, and see how she fearlessly transforms wood, ceramic, and found materials into ambitious sculptures that reflect her LGBTQ+ community. Born in Kampala, Uganda, and based in Brooklyn, New York, contemporary artist Leilah Babirye is known for her highly expressive, ambiguously gendered sculptures. Featuring interviews with the artist and Curator of African Art Natasha Becker, this short documentary explores Leilah Babirye’s artistic process, connections to art from west and central Africa, and new work for Leilah Babirye: We Have a History. How artist Lhola Amira is making space for rest    • How artist Lhola Amira is making space for...