Africa Is Beautiful’: Nollywood Stars Astonished With Visit To Museum 

– Southern Maryland News

Nollywood A-listers talk about art, cinema and the power of beauty as part of the global launch of “Iké Udé: Nollywood Portraits” at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. This virtual event will kick off Black History Month at the museum for audiences around the world Friday, Feb. 11, at noon.

Featuring an exclusive opportunity to ask questions directly of some of Nollywood’s brightest stars, “Africa Is Beautiful” invites the museum’s global audiences to engage with their favorite talent alongside Iké Udé, the artist who captured their portraits on film. Addressing themes such as standards of beauty, self-love and the power of art will be:

• Eku Edewor, named “Nollywood’s Most Daring Star” by Vogue magazine.

• Alexx Ekubo, Pulse magazine’s 2014 pick for sexiest man in Nigeria.

• Enyinna Nwigwe, star of smash hit, The Wedding Party.

• Joke Silva, one of the most successful and influential actresses in Nigeria.

• Iké Udé, the visionary artist behind “Nollywood Portraits.”

The program, which will include an exclusive screening of the documentary “Nollywood in Focus” and a sneak peek at the exhibition, will be hosted by Touria El Glaoui, voted one of the 100 most influential women in Africa by Forbes and the founding director of the 1:54 Contemporary Art Fair.

“Africa Is Beautiful” will stream on Zoom and is free to the public. Advanced registration is encouraged online. More information on the program and participants is available on the museum’s website.

About Iké Udé: Nollywood Portraits.

“Iké Udé: Nollywood Portraits,” which opens at the National Museum of African Art Saturday, Feb. 5, features the work of New York-based Nigerian artist Udé. The exhibition explores African beauty through the artist’s portraits of the people who drive Nollywood, Nigeria’s $3 billion film industry. About the National Museum of African Art.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to the collection, conservation, study and exhibition of Africa’s arts across time and media. The museum’s collection of over 12,000 artworks spans more than 1,000 years of African history and includes a variety of media from across the continent. For more information, call 202-633-4600 or visit the museum’s website. For general Smithsonian information, the public can call 202-633-1000. Follow the museum on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.