Olabisi (Bisi) Obafunke Silva (1962- 2019)

Olabisi Obafunke Silva was a renowned and pioneering curator whose work redefined the contemporary art landscape in Nigeria. As the founder and artistic director of CCA, Lagos, she established the institution as a leading space for critical art discourse, showcasing innovative practices in photography, video, and new media, which were previously underrepresented in Nigeria. Her commitment to mentoring artists and fostering experimental practices has left an enduring legacy that continues to shape the Nigerian art scene.

Bisi Silva graduated with an MA in Visual Arts Administration: Curating and Commissioning Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art, London, in 1996. Early in her career, she worked as an independent curator and founded Fourth Dial Art, a non-profit project in London dedicated to promoting cultural practice in the visual arts and helping artists form meaningful collaborations with institutions and professionals. One of the outcomes of Fourth Dial Art was the travelling exhibition Heads of State, featuring the work of Faisal Abdu’Allah, then an emerging artist in the London art world.

In 2015, Silva served as the artistic director of the 10th Bamako Encounters, the African Biennale of Photography in Mali. She was also a curator for the Dak’Art Biennale in Senegal (2006) and a member of the international jury for the Pinchuk Art Centre’s Future Generation Art Prize (2014) and the 55th Venice Biennale (2013). Among her notable curatorial projects were The Progress of Love, a transcontinental collaboration between the Menil Collection, Houston; the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, Missouri; and CCA, Lagos (2012–13); J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere: Moments of Beauty at the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki (2011); and the 2nd Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art, Greece, titled Praxis: Art in Times of Uncertainty (2009).

A frequent participant in international conferences and symposia, Silva contributed to journals and art magazines such as Artforum, Third Text, The Exhibitionist, and Art South Africa. She edited the comprehensive monograph J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, published by CCA, Lagos (2014), and served on the editorial and advisory boards of Art South Africa, N.Paradoxa: International Feminist Art Journal, and ContemporaryAnd