Modupeola Fadugba

Modupeola Fadugba (b. 1985 in Lomé, Togo) is a Nigerian multi-media artist whose practice involves painting, drawing, and socially engaged installation. The self-taught artist comfortably inhabits the nexus of many disciplines. She holds a Bachelor in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware, a Masters in Economics from the University of Delaware, and a Masters in Education from Harvard University. Modupeola has lived in the US, the UK, Rwanda, and Tanzania and currently lives in Ibadan, Nigeria. Modupeola’s artworks explore cultural identity, social justice, game theory, and the art world within the socio-political landscape of Nigeria and our greater global economy. Fadugba’s recent practice researches reflection to represent the act of introspection and embarking on an inner journey.

 

Solo exhibitions include (Upcoming) Norval Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa (2026); (Upcoming) Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach, USA (2025); Salon, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach, USA (2024); Why Nation’s Win (WNW), ALÁRA, Lagos Nigeria (2021); Dreams from the Deep End, Gallery 57, Accra, Ghana (2019); Dreams from the Deep End, New York, US (2018); Heads Up, Keep Swimming, Temple Muse, Lagos, Nigeria (2017); Synchronised Swimming & Drowning, Ed Cross Fine Art, London, UK (2017); Prayers, Players & Swimmers, Cité international des arts, Paris, France (2017).

 

Group exhibitions include (Upcoming) EXPO Chicago, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Chicago, USA (2025); Constellations, London, UK (2024); Frieze Art Fair, Korea (2024); 1-54 Art Fair, London, UK (2024); Filling in the Pieces in Black, London & Brussels (2023); The Armory Show, with kó gallery, NY, US (2023); Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE (2022); Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Burlington House, London, UK (2020, 2017); Schomburg Centre for Research, New York Public Libraries, Harlem, New York, USA (2019); Afrique Capitales: Cape of Good Hope Here We Come, Lille, France (2017); The People’s Algorithm 2.0, Dak'Art Biennale Exhibition, Dakar, Senegal (2016); Design is the Personality of an Idea, African Artists' Foundation, Nigeria (2015); Art/Energy, Red Door, Knightsbridge, London, UK (2015).

 

Modupeola Fadugba is the winner of the 2025 Norval Prize. In 2024, she completed the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship in South Africa & England. Her work continues to receive international recognition, including a New York Emmy Award in 2022 for the documentary video accompanying Dreams from the Deep End, which captures her painting NYC’s only African American synchronized swim team of senior citizens, the Harlem Honeys and Bears. Fadugba has held esteemed residencies, including the Smithsonian Institution Research Fellowship and Headlands Center for the Arts in 2020, as well as the International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York in 2018. Her works are featured in national and international auctions and are part of over 70 private collections worldwide, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, the University of Delaware, the Sindika Dokolo Foundation Collection, and the collection of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Earlier in her career, The People's Algorithm was awarded El Anatsui's Outstanding Production Prize and the Dakar Biennale Grand Prize from Senegal's Minister of Communication in 2016.