Though scaled back this year, the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair continues to intrigue with its unconventional and vibrant artworks. At Aura gallery, Rommulo Vieira Conceição’s installation 'the physical space requires that the other be ally or enemy, n10' is a playful yet layered exploration of Brazil's influence on American art.

Elsewhere, Kendra Frorup’s 'A Light Sense' transforms sugar apple prints into a Bahamian ecosystem jewel through burnt orange glass and yellow beads. Meanwhile, Eymric Moderne’s 'Les trois oiseaux en échos' dazzles with gold leaf and acrylic, creating an abundance of chromatic jungle.

Paris-based Loeve and Co showcases Marcel Gotène's abstract yet representational work ‘Untitled’, which resembles a cross-section of a jungle. The London-based Blond Contemporary gallery presents Sophia Bounou’s intricate paintings that depict underground mines filled with pre-20th-century masks, forcing viewers to see themselves differently.

Candice Tavares’ work at Tanya Weddemire Gallery, an idealised representation of Black life in Philadelphia, invites us to envision a fantastical yet hopeful future. Despite the reduced size, the fair still offers surprises and unique insights into African art.