Tiwani Contemporary Ends Operations After 15 Years as Market Pressures Mount
Tiwani Contemporary, the London- and Lagos-based gallery known for its focus on contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, has ceased operations after 15 years. In a statement released on May 28, the gallery said that a review of its finances, together with rising operating costs and broader market uncertainty, led directors to conclude that its current commercial model was no longer viable.
The gallery’s London space has closed. Its Lagos location, meanwhile, will stop operating in its current form while restructuring is considered in the months ahead.
Founded in 2011 by Maria Varnava in Fitzrovia, central London, Tiwani emerged at a moment when many Western collectors still treated African contemporary art as a niche category. Over the years, it became one of the few year-round galleries in the United Kingdom devoted to artists from the continent and its diaspora. Among those it represented were Zimbabwean artist Gareth Nyandoro, known for his large works on paper, and Eritrean-born photographer Dawit L. Petros.
The gallery also played a formative role in the careers of several Black-British artists who later achieved significant commercial and institutional recognition, including Michaela Yearwood-Dan and Joy Labinjo. Neither artist is currently listed among the gallery’s represented artists.
Tiwani expanded aggressively in the last four years. It opened a second space in Victoria Island, Lagos, in 2022, then moved from Fitzrovia to a larger premises on Cork Street in Mayfair in 2023. It also maintained a regular presence at major fairs, including Frieze London, Art X Lagos, and Frieze New York. The gallery had been scheduled to participate in Liste Basel next month, but is now withdrawing its application.
In a statement, Varnava called the decision to wind down activity “extremely painful,” but said it was a responsible response to the financial challenges facing the gallery. She also thanked the artists, collectors, curators, collaborators, and staff who shaped its legacy.
BTG Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP has been hired to oversee the closure and ensure the process is handled in line with professional and statutory requirements. The gallery’s shutdown underscores how quickly the market for African and diaspora art has shifted from expansion to retrenchment.
