Mellon Diversifying the Field

Exploring Modern African Art

A Chrysler Museum of Art and
Hampton University Museum Partnership

Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial fellow, Tashae Smith sat down with Political Cartoonist and lecturer Dr. Ganiyu Jimoh to discuss his work and the influence of artist and political cartoonist, Akinola Lasekan. You can learn more about the upcoming exhibition, I am Copying Nobody: The Art and Political Cartoons of Akinola Lasekan, and its partner exhibition Sankofa: Constructing Modern African Art by visiting the Exhibitions tab.

Ganiyu Jimoh is a PhD student in the History of Art and Architecture program, University of Virginia (UVA). His research interest is in Africa’s modern and contemporary visual culture, focusing on digital arts. Ganiyu, also known as Jimga, is a political cartoonist and a digital artist ( www.jimgatoons.com ) with several local and international exhibitions to his credit. Jimga holds a B.A. in Graphic Design, an M.A. in Art History, and a Ph.D. in Visual Arts, all from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Before coming to UVA for his second doctoral research degree, he taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in design, cartooning and African art history. He was a visiting scholar at the African Studies Center, Michigan State University in 2015; an NRF Postdoctoral Fellow at Rhodes University, South Africa and a recipient of the African Studies Association presidential fellowship, both in 2019; and a CAA-Getty International Program participant in 2020. Ganiyu is currently an Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellow in Indigenous Studies at UVA.

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