Smithsonian’s First Major Exhibit Of African LGBTQ+ Art On Display Through August
The National Museum of African Art’s “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art” celebrates the large, joyful story of queer African art history.
Featured Image: Leilah Babirye’s sculpture “Nansamba II From the Kuchu Ngabi (Antelope) Clan” (Brad Simpson/National Museum of African Art/Smithsonian Institution)
A major exhibition at the National Museum of African Art is up and running in all its vibrancy: “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art features 60 works of LGBTQ+ Artists from Africa and its diaspora from more than a dozen countries. The show includes paintings, sculptures, textiles, photography, film and video. Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa feature prominently along with diaspora artists in the United States, England and France.
Co-curated by Serubiri Moses and Kevin D. Dumouchelle, LGBTQ+ collaboration, joy and lived experience shine in what the Museum considers “the first continental and diasporic survey of its scale and scope outside of Africa.”
The Smithsonian introduced the works with this in mind: “Artists’ voices are central to this exhibition, which is based on years of close collaboration and dialogue with African visual art practitioners who claim belonging in the LGBTQ+ community, however they define those terms. They are united by a simple, shared declaration: We are here and always have been and will be.”
Artists include Zanele Muholi, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Jim Chuchu, Ṣọlá Olúlòde and Brooklyn-based artist and GO Women We Love 2025 notable, Leilah Babirye, who was granted asylum in 2018 and is now known for her work with found objects.
Image: Sola Olulode, “Stitched to You”, Painting, oil, acrylic, thread, indigo, batik and oil pastel on canvas. Courtesy of Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art
The Smithsonian notes, “While their experiences are unique to them, they speak to issues that unite everyone: the importance of family, spirit, standing up for oneself and others, imagining the future, making intimate connections, finding belonging, embracing potential and, above all, experiencing joy.”
“Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art” was initially scheduled to open in May 2025 to coincide with the WorldPride celebration in Washington in June. Due to what was described by a Smithsonian spokesperson as a “current budgetary situation,” per Washington Post reporting, the opening was postponed until January 2026. A researcher who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the outlet that artwork had already been loaned to the museum, and the space was in the process of being prepared for the exhibition before the the delay was abruptly announced. The exhibition date quietly changed online.
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The circumstances raised some eyebrows.
On March 27, 2025, Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order titled, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which seeks to “eliminate anti-American ideology.”
“To advance this policy, we will restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness,” the EO reads. To achieve this, the EO aimed to “prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”
Image: To Revolutionary Type Love” series by the late Kenyan artist Kawira Mwirichia – kangas commemorate LGBTQ+ struggles. (Brad Simpson/National Museum of African Art/Smithsonian Institution)
Thankfully, the show ultimatey proceeded as planned. The stories will be told and history cannot be erased, however much some entities might try.
“These stories have always been a part of African art history, even if that history remains underwritten,” Kevin Dumouchelle said in a Smithsonian statement shared with GO. “‘Here’ uncovers that history. As a field-leading institution, it’s important that we tell nuanced narratives about artists working in Africa and its diaspora to increase our understanding of the art historical canon.”
‘”Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art’” opened on January 23, 2026 and is on view at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC, until August 23, 2026. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art.
