ARAK presents three new exhibitions of contemporary African art at Shenzhen’s Artron Art Gallery

ARAK presents three new exhibitions of contemporary African art at Shenzhen’s Artron Art Gallery

From 29 March to 29 June 2025, a selection of contemporary African art from the ARAK Collection will go on exhibition to audiences in Shenzhen, China, at Artron Art Gallery.

“Perspectives from the ARAK Collection” brings together three distinct curatorial projects developed in 2023 as part of ARAK’s Curatorial Fellowship Programme that examine, among other things, African identities, movements and imagined futures.

In The Geography of Fixed Things, E.N. Mirembe focuses on East African art’s continuous cross-cultural exchanges, tracing influences that transcend colonial borders. This exhibition emphasises a rich legacy of connection through art, trade, and education. Referencing Lucille Clifton’s poem, “for the lame”, Mirembe challenges the notion of a fixed geography, presenting artworks that reflect East Africa’s vibrant and interconnected histories with the Middle East and further afield.

In Beyond the Chrysalis, Nneoma Angela Okorie explores transformation, following the work of three artists who develop visual languages rooted in personal histories and collective memory, defying linear paths.

Jamil Osmar Parasol’s Split Infinity envisions an Afro-futurist landscape, inviting viewers into speculative worlds where African resilience and identity shape new possibilities for the future.

Together, these exhibitions offer a layered examination of heritage, transformation and creative imagination within contemporary African art. 

Founder of ARAK, Abdul Rahman AlKhulaifi explains that one of the primary goals of ARAK is to introduce the work of artists and curators from Africa to the rest of the world through the staging of exhibitions. Shenzhen, he explains, is a great place to begin.

‘We want to increase the international exposure of these artists and curators, introducing new research about their work and the stories they tell, ’he says. ‘China is a good place to do this. These three exhibitions present their work in an entirely new context, providing an opportunity for the artists and curators to be represented internationally while also allowing for the possibility for new research to emerge.’

Since 2020, ARAK has been successfully running its Curatorial Fellowship Programmes, aimed at providing a platform for young and mid-career curators based on the African continent while enriching research and knowledge about the artworks in the collection. The 2025-26 iteration is held in partnership with the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture(FADA) Gallery, South Africa. 

“Perspectives from the ARAK Collection” will run from 29 March to 29 June 2025 at the Artron Art Gallery.

About ARAK Collection:

ARAK is an independent, Qatari-based initiative that aims to promote the work of artists, curators, and writers from Sub-Saharan Africa through exhibitions, publications, research and educational programmes.

The collection is a resource for artists, curators and writers. It produces travelling exhibitions; lends artworks to regional and international organisations, institutions and museums; produces print and online publications; and facilitates impactful workshops and public programmes that foster critical dialogue around contemporary art, with a focus on artists from Africa.

With over 4000 artworks by more than 300artists from across the continent, ARAK is one of the largest contemporary African art collections in the Middle East.

About Artron Art Group

Founded in 1993,Artron Art Group is a comprehensive cultural and art services enterprise. Upholding the mission of "serving the people with art" by "serving the people’s art", the company integrates state-of-the-art printing technology to convey the beauty of art. With a dedication to the inheritance, protection, innovation, and promotion of human culture and global art, the company embodies the spirit of outstanding craftsmanship and has established a service platform that covers the entire art industry chain. With three operational bases in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai, its business spans art printing, digital printing, art data and Internet services, reaching clients in dozens of countries and regions worldwide. 

关于雅昌文化集团

雅昌文化集团成立于1993年，是一家综合性文化艺术服务企业，秉承通过“为人民艺术服务”实现“艺术为人民服务”的使命，融科技之力，传艺术之美，以杰出工匠精神致力于人类文化、世界艺术的传承、保护、创新与弘扬，建立起了覆盖艺术全产业链的服务平台。拥有北京、深圳、上海三大运营基地，业务覆盖艺术印刷、数字印刷和艺术数据互联网，产品和服务遍及全球几十个国家和地区。

About Artron Art Centre

Artron Art Centre, located in Nanshan, Shenzhen, with a construction area of about 42,000m, is a hidden hideaway in the city. Gathering the world's largest book wall, museum-style art bookstore, art library and professional-grade art exhibition space, Artron Art Centre is an aesthetic life centre for sharing rare books, cultural lectures, art exhibitions and community exchanges.

With the purpose of "serving both the professionals and the public", Artron Art Center has brought 150,000 professional art and literature books, 80 art exhibitions and art courses, more than 460 art classes, and more than 360 art activities to art professionals, collectors and senior art lovers. Delivering abundant content, exhibitions, and activities, our art centre offers public-welfare art popularization education and appreciation experiences, which can comprehensively enhance the artistic taste and cultivation to the public.                

关于雅昌(深圳)艺术中心

坐落于深圳繁华与静谧交界处,雅昌(深圳) 艺术中心是一处大隐于市的世外桃源，集合雅昌艺术书墙、博物馆式图书馆、主题书房及专业级艺术展览空间,是一个分享珍藏书籍、文化讲座、艺术展览以及社群交流的美学生活中心。 

以“服务专业，公益大众”为宗旨，雅昌(深圳)艺术中心为艺术专业人群、藏家及资深艺术爱好者带来专业艺术文献书籍 15 万册、举办艺术展览 80 余场、艺术课程460 余堂、艺术活动 360 余场;以丰富的内容、展览和活动体验,为大众带来公益性艺术普及教育与欣赏，全面提升全民艺术品味和修养。

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