By Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu
In a spectacular celebration of colour, culture, and creativity, a new international art exhibition titled “Red. Rad.” is calling on African artists across the continent to submit their most daring and expressive red-themed artworks.
The initiative, jointly organized by the I-A Gallery of Contemporary African Art and curated in partnership with global art promoters, promises to spotlight the vibrancy of African talent on the global stage. The exhibition is set to take place in December 2025 at a prestigious gallery space in the heart of Moscow, Russia.
From bold abstractions to pop-inflected figuration, “Red. Rad.” will explore the emotional, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of the color red. In many African traditions, red symbolizes power, vitality, sacrifice, and ancestral ties, while in Russian culture, the word for red, krasny, shares its root with krasiviy—meaning beautiful—emphasizing the color’s deep aesthetic and symbolic meaning.
As part of the project, selected artists will be invited to a special Art Residency on the Lower Zambezi in Zambia from November 2nd to 12th, 2025, where they will collaborate, reflect, and prepare their works for global display. Some of the submitted artworks will also be purchased outright by the I-A Gallery, while others will be exhibited and promoted to collectors and art enthusiasts.
Interested artists are encouraged to send photographs of their portfolios to awaaapplication@gmail.com.
Submission Deadline: July 28, 2025
Delivery Deadline for Accepted Works: August 10, 2025
Whether you’re a painter, sculptor, digital artist, or mixed media creator, if your art speaks in red, then this is your call to be seen, heard, and celebrated on an international platform.
