Otobong Nkanga. "I dreamt of you in colours"

Discover Otobong Nkanga at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris for her first major solo exhibition in the city.

Since the late 1990s, Nkanga (1974, Nigeria) now living in Belgium—has used her art to explore our deep connection to the environment and how our bodies relate to the land around us. Her work is both visually stunning and deeply thought-provoking, drawing on her own life story and extensive research to show how humans and nature are constantly shaped by one another.

After studying in Nigeria, Paris, and Amsterdam, the artist began looking closely at the way we use the earth’s resources. Through a wide variety of styles—including vibrant paintings, large-scale tapestries, poetry, and live performances—she examines the history and politics behind our relationship with the territory we inhabit.

At the heart of Nkanga’s work is the idea of "layers." She explores how materials, goods, and people move across the globe, and how those journeys leave marks on the environment. While she reflects on the difficult history of how our land has been treated, she also looks toward the future, inviting us to think about how we can heal and grow together.