Osei Bonsu Appointed Jorge M. Pérez Senior Curator at Tate Modern

Tate has announced the appointment of Osei Bonsu as Jorge M. Pérez Senior Curator, International Art, Africa and Diaspora, alongside the donation of 36 artworks by artists from Africa and the African diaspora from collectors Jorge M. and Darlene Pérez. Together, the announcements signal a material and organisational expansion of Tate’s engagement with African and diasporic art.

Bonsu has previously curated Nigerian Modernism and A World in Common at Tate Modern, exhibitions that contributed to renewed attention on modern and contemporary African art histories. His appointment to a newly endowed curatorial post formalises a research-led role focused on acquisitions, displays, exhibitions and commissions relating to Africa and its global diasporas. The position is supported through a multi-million-dollar contribution to Tate’s endowment by the Pérez family.

The donation includes works by artists entering Tate’s collection for the first time, among them Chéri Samba, Amadou Sanogo and Joy Labinjo, alongside significant works by artists already represented in the collection. These include El Anatsui, Gavin Jantjes, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Wangechi Mutu and Buhlebezwe Siwani. Photography and textile practices are also strongly represented, with works by Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé, J.D. ’Okhai Ojeikere, Rotimi Fani Kayode, Yinka Shonibare and Abdoulaye Konaté.