How the digital exhibition ‘Goya and Africa’ connects Francisco de Goya’s legacy with contemporary African artists to foster visual literacy and creative engagement.
Johannes Phokela, Original Sin, 2023. Oil on canvas, 120 x 80cm. Image courtesy of Eclectica Contemporary. © Johannes Phokela
‘Goya and Africa’ is a pioneering digital exhibition and educational tool that explores the enduring themes of war, oppression, and resilience through the works of contemporary African artists such as Yinka Shonibare, William Kentridge, Grace Nyahangare, and Athi-Patra Ruga. By drawing parallels with the powerful imagery of Francisco de Goya, the project provides a fresh and accessible way for young audiences to engage with art history.
In this interview, Nicola Jennings, Director of Athena Art Foundation and co-founder of ‘Goya and Africa’, discusses the project’s inspiration, role in arts education, and potential impact. Developed in partnership with Elana Brundyn, Director of Brundyn Arts and Culture, this initiative reflects their shared commitment to fostering visual literacy, creativity, and critical thinking among young people in Africa and beyond.
Francisco de Goya, Los Caprichos, plate 43, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, 1799. Etching, aquatint. Sheet 29.5 x 21 cm; plate 21.4 x 15.1cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington, marked as public domain. Inscribed lower left: El sueño / de la razon / produce / monstruous. Numbered upper right: 43.
ART AFRICA: What inspired the creation of ‘Goya and Africa,’ and how did connecting Goya’s work with contemporary African artists come about?
Nicola Jennings: One of the most engaging ways of promoting pre-modern art to young audiences is to talk to contemporary artists who are interested in art history. I was looking online at the collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery and discovered the work of Diane Victor, a South African artist who produced an amazing print series called The Disasters of Peace, inspired by Goya’s Disasters of War, about the violence, inequality and corruption which continues to plague post-apartheid South Africa. I knew that Yinka Shonibare had also referenced Goya, for example in his photographic series Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, and as I looked at other African artists, I realised that there were also wider resonances in, for example, William Kentridge’s and Dumile Feni’s surreal explorations of injustice and irrationality. I was delighted to find Elana Brundyn, who shares our passion for art history and immediately agreed to partner with Athena on the project and, of course, our funders, the Common Humanity Arts Trust, who have a special interest in Africa.
Dumile Feni, African Guernica, 1967. Charcoal on newsprint, 226 x 218cm. University of Fort Hare. Photo courtesy of University of Fort Hare. © The Dumile Feni Family Trust
The exhibition is designed as a digital-first, interactive experience. How do you see technology enhancing access to art education, particularly for young audiences in Africa and beyond?
Access to the internet via mobile phones is a great force for democratising access to education, providing the right content is made available at no or low cost. My African colleagues confirm that there is little art education at African schools, particularly with art historical content, and most Africans don’t have access to art galleries. ‘Goya and Africa’ is one small step in addressing these issues. It’s free, a resource for non-specialist teachers, and relevant and fun for young users. We have considered their feedback and conceived it as a pilot for other iterations in Africa and elsewhere. The one drawback, as we see it, is that the cost of data may be a barrier for young users. We hope that one day, we’ll find a sponsor who can help us address this issue!
Yinka Shonibare CBE, RA, Girl on Globe 2, 2011. Fibreglass mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton, and globe, mannequin: 100.01 x 74.93 x 81.92cm; diameter of globe: 80.01cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, By Exchange: William A. Clark Collection). Image courtesy of NGA.
Goya’s works often depict war, oppression, and social injustice themes. How do these themes resonate with the experiences and expressions of contemporary African artists featured in the exhibition?
Like Goya, many artists in the exhibition are concerned with the injustice, cruelty and folly that continue to be part of life in post-colonial Africa. Of course, their imagery reflects the world as it is today, so, for example, we included Yinka Shonibare’s Girl on a Globe and Michael Armitage’s Mydas, highlighting the ecological crisis that afflicts Africa and the planet. Johannes Phokela and Roméo Mivekannin, like Goya, use biting satire to explore issues like access to food and sexual exploitation. I don’t think Goya died with much hope for a better world. Still, we did want to include some artists like Athi-Patra Ruga and Grace Nyahangare, whose imagination is fantastical, like Goya’s, but suggests a more positive re-imagining of the future! 
Grace Nyahangare, Tabvegehena, 2023. Oil, printer’s ink, and monotype on canvas, 100 x 100cm. Photo by First Floor Gallery, Harare. Courtesy of the artist and First Floor Gallery, Harare. © Grace Nyahangare
What has been the response so far from teachers and students engaging with the ‘Goya and Africa’ platform, and what impact do you hope it will have on arts education?
We had a great response from the students who came to the soft launch in Boschendal last year, many of whom said this was their first encounter with an art gallery. It was very moving to hear one 17-year-old say, ‘We never thought that art can … express things through symbols and … colours like the grey and the black mean sadness. How you can just express your feelings through a painting is very interesting.’ We’ve only just begun to send the project out to schools around South Africa, but we’ve already had feedback from teachers in one township near Cape Town who sent us a series of paintings their students did in response to Goya. You can see some of them on our Goya and Africa Instagram page! We hope the project will significantly impact arts and visual literacy education. We are already beginning to have conversations with large institutions in South Africa and other countries on the continent.
William Kentridge, Act IV, scene 7 from Ubu Tells the Truth,1996-97. Aquatint, dry point and etching on soft ground, 25 x 30cm, sheet 36 x 50cm. Photo by William Kentridge Studio. Courtesy of the artist and William Kentridge Studio. © William Kentridge
With ‘Goya and Africa’ launching during Cape Town Art Week, how do this project contribute to broader conversations about art, history, and identity in Africa today?
Based on the feedback so far, Elana, myself and our teams in South Africa and London are optimistic that this project can make a contribution to widening the conversation about visual literacy, art history and art as something we all can make and enjoy. Elana summed up our aspirations by saying, “I hope this project inspires a deeper understanding of art and nurtures creativity and critical thinking, which are essential for growth and transformation across the continent.’
For more information, please visit Goya and Africa.
