Otobong Nkanga’s first major solo exhibition in Switzerland has opened at the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne, offering visitors a deep dive into the artist’s multidisciplinary exploration of ecology, the body, and the land.
Titled I dreamt of you in colours, the exhibition runs from April 3 to August 23, 2026, and was developed in collaboration with the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. It brings together a wide range of Nkanga’s perform, including iconic installations, photographic series, recent pieces, and numerous drawings — some dating back to the early years of her career and never before exhibited.
Born in Kano, Nigeria, in 1974, Nkanga now lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium. Her artistic practice, shaped by studies at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-arts in Paris, and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, has long engaged with themes of mineral extraction, the use of earth’s resources, and the complex relationships between body, territory, and society.
Through drawings, paintings, installations, tapestries, photographs, videos, sculptures, ceramics, performances, sound, and poetry, Nkanga constructs layered narratives that connect human experience with natural systems. Central to her work is the concept of strata — both as a material presence in her sculptures and weavings, and as a way of understanding mutual transformation between bodies and the land.
As she once said, “In this world so abstract, and at the same time very real, in which we live, figuration and abstraction go very well together.” That sentiment echoes throughout the Lausanne show, where dreamlike, colorful works invite reflection on repair, memory, and the quiet power of natural and relational systems.
The exhibition highlights Nkanga’s ability to weave personal history with transhistorical and multicultural research, creating constellations between people, and landscapes. Her work continues to resonate at the intersection of art, ecology, and memory — a growing focus in contemporary cultural discourse.
For those interested in experiencing the show, tickets and further information are available through the MCBA’s official channels.
