New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations spotlights the work of four contemporary artists working in cities across West Africa: Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, David Sanou, and Hervé Youmbi.

The first presentation of its kind, New African Masquerades offers a rare look into contemporary West African masquerade by contextualizing the works of individual artists within a range of social, economic, and religious practices and examining their networks of viewership and exchange. Made from materials including wood, cloth and fabrics, sequins, feathers, gourds, raffia, and cowry shells, the ensembles on view represent a wide variety of masquerade practices and societies.

Organized in partnership with the Musée des Civilisations noires (MCN) in Dakar, Senegal, the exhibition will be also be presented in a parallel form for African audiences—marking the first time an exhibition will be presented in such a way in North America and Africa.

New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations is made possible by support from National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About the Artists

Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, born in 1973 in Creek Town, Nigeria, is a renowned third-generation Efik artist specializing in the creation of masquerade ensembles, beadwork, chieftaincy attire, cultural knowledge, and funeral shrines. He learned his craft from his father, who is credited with modernizing masquerade ensembles for the Ekpe secret society central to Efik culture as well as throughout southeast Nigeria and west Cameroon. Bassey Nsa’s artistry is deeply tied to the Ekpe society and his father’s legacy. Initiated into Ekpe at a young age, he was conferred with the Ekpe chieftaincy title, Obong Murua Okpoho, in 2009. His art is intertwined with family and tradition, with every work beginning with a libation to his father, seeking guidance through dreams and prayer. His commissions extend throughout the Cross River region as well as to international institutions.

Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in 1976, is known for his intricate and innovative designs. Based in the Fourah Bay community, he is the resident kotu (builder/artist) for the Gladiators Power Ordehlay Society (co-founded by his father) and contributes to other societies such as Tourist Ojeh and Omo Jessah Hunting. Fofanah’s work spans various masquerade genres, including Jollay, Ordehlay, and Hunting, and his designs are sought after in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and internationally in Australia, Canada, and the UK, illustrating how masquerades serve not only as performative art forms but also as symbols of identity and connectivity in a rapidly changing world. Fofanah’s designs are part of prestigious collections, including the Sierra Leone National Museum. His work has been displayed for national celebrations, such as the British Museum’s commission for Sierra Leone’s golden independence anniversary.

David Sanou, born in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 1969, is a third-generation master sculptor based in Bobo-Dioulasso. He assumed artistic control over his father’s studio in 2009 and has continued to innovate within existing practices, while simultaneously creating new masquerade forms such as “Compromise Kimi” headpieces, “emblematic portraits” of recently deceased community members that are danced in annual funeral celebrations. David Sanou’s artworks are featured in both secular and ceremonial occasions. His clientele includes chiefs and affluent patrons of masquerades in the region as well as museums abroad. Sanou has gained a reputation for quality and creativity, adhering to the standards of regional mask genres, while innovating new forms and types.

Hervé Youmbi, born in 1973 in Bangui, Central African Republic, and raised in Douala, Cameroon, is a celebrated contemporary artist deeply influenced by Africa’s complex history. Youmbi’s work explores issues of identity, power, and the legacy of colonialism through portraiture and hybrid masks bridging the gap between traditional African rituals and global contemporary art, questioning what is considered “traditional” or “contemporary.” Youmbi has been featured in, among others, the 2017 Münster Skulptur Project, Germany, the Into Nature Biennial, Holland (2018)  exhibits at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, France (2022), the Uchiboso Art Festival, Ichihara City, Japan (2024), and the Louvre Museum, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2025). His work is included in multiple global collections, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art and the Menil Collection.