Tiwani Contemporary

Founded in London, 2011 by Maria Varnava, Tiwani Contemporary’s primary mission is to represent artists from Africa and its global diaspora. Varnava, who grew up in Lagos, established Tiwani Contemporary with the encouragement of her friend and mentor, renowned Nigerian international curator, Bisi Silva (1962- 2019). Silva proposed the name Tiwani, which loosely translates as “ours” or “it belongs to us” from the Yoruba language, as an encapsulation of the gallery’s intentions: Providing a space inclusive to everyone, and a safe space for dialogue that values nuance and considers context and the multiple dimensions of identity, being, and belonging.

In 2022 the gallery expanded to its second location in Lagos, Nigeria and in 2023 moved to its new permanent gallery space in Mayfair. Tiwani Contemporary is a global leader in the representation of visual arts practice from contemporary Africa and its diaspora, and the Cork Street premises are a signal of the gallery's continuous commitment, intent and ambition for the artists it represents and exhibits. The Lagos and London galleries are a bridge between the African continent and its international global diaspora, allowing for programming and exhibitions by represented and exhibited artists on a larger scale, both literally and metaphorically.