Otobong Nkanga’s Chromatic Vision Unfolds at Malmö Konsthall
A monumental retrospective celebrates the Nigerian artist's multidisciplinary practice across drawing, painting, installation and performance. The exhibition arrives as Nkanga receives the prestigious Sikkens Prize for pioneering work in colour.
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Malmö Konsthall presents a transformative encounter with the visionary practice of Otobong Nkanga, whose exhibition ‘I dreamt of you in colours’ unfolds as a comprehensive meditation on form, materiality and the profound language of hue. This inaugural large scale presentation in Sweden traces the trajectory of an artist whose restless intellect and sensory acuity have established her as one of contemporary art’s most compelling voices, moving fluidly across the boundaries that traditionally demarcate discrete artistic disciplines.
The exhibition emerges as a richly layered tapestry, drawing together drawings and paintings alongside monumental installations, tapestries and ceramic works that speak to Nkanga’s profound engagement with tactile materials and their inherent narratives. Photographs and videos sit alongside performance works and sculptural pieces, each element conversing with the next in a carefully orchestrated symphony of visual and conceptual exploration. This constellation of media reflects an artistic practice rooted in rigorous intellectual inquiry, where each material choice becomes a deliberate gesture laden with meaning.
The timing of this presentation carries particular resonance. On 26 October, Nkanga will receive the Sikkens Prize 2026, an honour bestowed upon pioneering artists whose work has fundamentally expanded our understanding of colour as both material and concept. The following day, her solo exhibition ‘Humus Blues’ opens at Singer Laren, amplifying this moment of extraordinary institutional recognition with a parallel presentation of works spanning her practice, interwoven with newly created pieces conceived expressly for this venue.
Produced in collaboration with the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris and the Musée cantonal des Beaux Arts de Lausanne, the Malmö exhibition demonstrates the international significance of Nkanga’s contribution to contemporary discourse. Her work engages with questions of identity, geography, materiality and the poetics of colour with a sophistication that refuses easy categorisation. Each element of the exhibition invites contemplation of how artistic practice can become a vehicle for exploring the complexities of culture, heritage and human connection.
Installation views reveal environments of considered beauty, where colour serves not merely as aesthetic gesture but as a profound philosophical language. The works demand patience and presence, rewarding the viewer’s attention with layers of meaning that accumulate over time, much like the chromatic depths that give the exhibition its evocative title.
On view at Malmö Konsthall, Sweden until 28 March 2027.
Imagery courtesy of Lisson Gallery (@lisson_gallery).
