REWA – Contemporary African Artist Celebrating Heritage, Identity, and Global Recognition
REWA is an internationally acclaimed Nigerian visual artist celebrated for her distinctive, heritage-inspired art that bridges African identity, femininity, and cultural storytelling. Her vibrant works have been exhibited in prestigious art fairs, museums, and galleries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America, establishing her as one of the leading voices in contemporary African art.
Her artworks have featured in major group exhibitions at ReLe Gallery, the Gallery of African Art (GAFRA) in London, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) in New York, Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Ferrara Showman Gallery in New Orleans, OOA Gallery in Barcelona, the Contemporary Art Center New Orleans (CACNO), the Nigerian National Museum, Band of Vices Gallery in Los Angeles, De Buck Gallery, and Urban Zen Gallery in New York, among others.
She has also participated in digital and curated showcases with Artsy, Casild’ART, and the UK Government’s virtual art initiatives, expanding her visibility within the global art community.
REWA’s practice has been featured at major international art fairs including Art Miami, Expo Chicago, Art Market San Francisco, and Art Dubai, where her work continues to draw critical acclaim for its bold visual language and cultural depth.
Her creative collaborations extend beyond fine art into global brand partnerships. She has worked with Unilever and Nike, contributing to the Vaseline Showcase at the 2019 Essence Festival and Nike’s “Don’t Change Your Dream, Change the World” campaign for the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
In fashion, she partnered with Burnett New York to produce the Burnett x REWA luxury apparel collection.
Her art has also gained widespread cultural visibility, appearing in popular U.S. television shows such as Law & Order: Organized Crime, Black-ish (ABC), and All The Single Ladies (OWN Network). In 2024, six of her works were featured in Usher’s music video “Ruin”, released ahead of his Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance, marking another milestone in REWA’s growing influence in global pop culture.
Her artworks are part of private and corporate collections including those of Beth Rudin DeWoody, CCH Pounder, the Bentata family, and AXA XL.
A graduate of University College London (UCL) with a BSc in Physiology and Pharmacology, REWA’s multidisciplinary background informs her analytical yet deeply emotive approach to art. Her achievements have been recognized globally: she received the Women in Management Africa (WIMA) Top 25 Women in Management Award (2024) and the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award (2024). She was also named one of EKO 100 Women by the Lagos State Governor on International Women’s Day 2022 for her outstanding contributions to both finance and visual art.
In September 2024, REWA presented her first institutional solo exhibition, Women of the Elephant Tusk: Ndi Otu Odu, at The Africa Centre in London. The exhibition, endorsed by His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, celebrates the strength, beauty, and resilience of African women, and was attended by distinguished members of the Otu Odu society.
In 2025, REWA will design the official poster for the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain — the world’s second-largest carnival after Rio de Janeiro. With the theme “Secrets of Africa”, she becomes the first African artist and third woman in history to create the event’s iconic poster, joining the ranks of César Manrique, Mel Ramos, and Jiří “Georg” Dokoupil. This milestone marks a defining moment in REWA’s artistic journey and in the carnival’s celebrated history of cross-cultural collaboration.
