This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/14/arts/design/african-royalty-tate-modern.html

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Contemporary African Royals, in Regalia and Complexity Contemporary African Royals, in Regalia and Complexity
(3 days later)
On a wall of London’s Tate Modern, a large photo from 2012 depicts a seated Nigerian king, wearing a green beaded hat and a lavish robe with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II printed on the front.On a wall of London’s Tate Modern, a large photo from 2012 depicts a seated Nigerian king, wearing a green beaded hat and a lavish robe with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II printed on the front.
Shot by George Osodi, it’s a photograph of a “very old king,” the Nigerian photographer said recently by phone, who was one of the monarchs who welcomed Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Nigeria for the first time in 1956.Shot by George Osodi, it’s a photograph of a “very old king,” the Nigerian photographer said recently by phone, who was one of the monarchs who welcomed Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Nigeria for the first time in 1956.
On the same wall, another photo has its king dressed in glistening red attire and sitting on a matching velvet throne with gold adornments. Taken in 2022, this photo is of a newer Nigerian king, who came to power in this millennium, Osodi said.On the same wall, another photo has its king dressed in glistening red attire and sitting on a matching velvet throne with gold adornments. Taken in 2022, this photo is of a newer Nigerian king, who came to power in this millennium, Osodi said.
These photos — titled “HRM Agbogidi Obi James Ikechukwu Anyasi II, Obi of Idumuje Unor” and “Pere of Gbaramatu. His Imperial Majesty, Oboro Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba” respectively — are among the works from Osodi’s ongoing “Nigerian Monarch” series currently on view here until Jan. 14 as part of “A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography.”
According to its curator, Osei Bonsu, the exhibition aims to steer away from typical Western imagery associated with African cultures, which tends to be superficial or stereotypical, he said.