Ladi Kwali, Nigeria’s most celebrated potter, is famously featured on the 20 naira note, yet much of her groundbreaking work has long been hidden in Western museums. During her lifetime, Kwali’s international fame was largely mediated through her British colleague, Michael Cardew, a process that filtered Kwali’s voice and story. A new exhibition, “Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art,” at the Ford Foundation Gallery is changing that by offering a clearer view of her legacy. This groundbreaking show, coinciding with the centenary of her birth, places her intricate pots—adorned with critters and geometric motifs—alongside works by other Black women artists she inspired. By reframing her not just as a craftswoman but as a foundational modern artist, the exhibition allows audiences to finally engage with her work on its own terms.
The New York Times
