I Know the Shadows Will Always Be There: Ken Nwadiogbu

I Know the Shadows Will Always Be There traces Ken Nwadiogbu’s growing desire to reconnect with his cultural roots, a longing sharpened by his experience of immigration as he now lives and works in London. The work was sparked by an encounter with Ben Enwonwu’s The Dancer (1962) at Tate Modern’s Nigerian Modernism exhibition. Inspired by Enwonwu’s use of the masquerade to express Nigerian identity, Nwadiogbu began exploring the Igbo masquerade as a way of reconnecting with his own heritage.

Created specifically for Frieze London 2026, Nwadiogbu’s newest body of work places the recurring figure of the masquerade within scenes of contemporary Western life. This exploration extends into the physical space: floor-to-ceiling fibres of Akwete fabric, a traditional hand-woven textile made by Igbo women in Akwete, transform the Degussa Lounge into an immersive environment. Live performances further activate the presentation by reinterpreting elements of Igbo masquerade.

As Nwadiogbu explains: 

“Everywhere I go, I carry the energy of my culture and my ancestors, regardless of whether or not it is visible to anyone else in the room.”