Hannah Remi Okoja is a curator and cultural strategist whose work moves across the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Singapore, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, shaping how African and diasporic art is presented, understood, and positioned within the global art ecosystem. Educated at the University of Cambridge, where she studied Classics, and further trained in art administration at Columbia University, her practice spans platforms including 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair (London), Art SG (Singapore), Art X Lagos (Nigeria), and Abu Dhabi Art (UAE). She speaks about her work and impact in this interview.
Your work spans multiple continents and some of the world’s most influential art platforms. What drives your commitment to shaping how African and diasporic art is presented globally?
I started at a grassroots level, working closely with artists and cultural contexts on the ground. That foundation has stayed with me. For me, culture comes before platform. The international spaces I’ve worked in didn’t shape my perspective; they gave it scale. What drives me is ensuring that as African and diasporic art moves onto global stages, it remains grounded in the realities, histories, and sensibilities it comes from.
You have been deeply involved with major fairs like Frieze London and Art X Lagos. How have these platforms influenced your perspective on the positioning of African art within the global market?
What is clear is that the demand is there, both locally and internationally. Art X Lagos shows a strong, growing market on the continent, while Frieze London reflects a sustained global appetite for African art. There is still an element of external validation in how that demand is recognised, but the shift is undeniable. We are also seeing a move beyond emerging artists into the rise of globally recognised, established figures. That signals a maturing market, one that is beginning to produce its own canon of leading artists.
With your academic grounding from University of Cambridge and further training at Columbia University, how has your intellectual background shaped your curatorial philosophy and approach?
My training in Classics gave me a deep sense of discipline and precision. Studying Latin and Greek develops a meticulous approach to language, and that has shaped how I write and think as a curator. It also grounded me in art history across a long timeline, from antiquity to the present, which informs how I situate contemporary work. My time at Columbia brought a more practical dimension. Being in New York, engaging with museums, and learning about marketing and proposal writing strengthened my understanding of how cultural practice operates in real terms. Together, those experiences shaped both the intellectual and strategic sides of my work.
You often emphasise placing African and diasporic art at the centre of global conversations. What structural shifts still need to happen for this to become the norm rather than the exception?
There needs to be a shift from participation to authority. It is not enough to be included within existing structures; there has to be influence over how those structures are defined. That means more African and diasporic voices in leadership positions, more long-term institutional commitment, and less reliance on external frameworks to validate what already exists. The goal is not to fit into the system as it stands, but to shape it.
As a curator and cultural strategist, you work across exhibitions, advisory, and programming. How do you balance creative vision with the commercial realities of the global art ecosystem?
I don’t separate them. Strong creative vision and clear strategy are what make commercial success possible. When the focus shifts too heavily towards sales without that foundation, it becomes unsustainable. My approach is to build the intellectual and structural integrity of a project first. When that is in place, the commercial side follows in a more stable and meaningful way.
Your work engages themes of identity, memory, and material culture. Why are these themes particularly important in today’s cultural and political climate?
We are in a moment where identity and history are being actively questioned and redefined. Memory becomes a way of holding onto what might otherwise be overlooked or erased, and material culture carries those histories in tangible form. These themes are important because they shape how people understand themselves and how cultures are represented to the world. They are not abstract; they are central to how we navigate the present.
Having contributed to global platforms like the World Economic Forum, how do you see the intersection between art, policy, and global influence evolving?
There is a growing recognition that culture is a key part of the global economy. In Nigeria, for example, figures like Honourable Hannatu Musawa are pushing initiatives that bring the creative sector into closer dialogue with government and policy. That kind of engagement is essential. As this continues, we will see art and cultural production playing a more active role in shaping national and international agendas.
You advise galleries, collectors, and institutions on long-term positioning. What are the most common gaps you see in how African art is currently being presented or understood?
One of the biggest gaps is over-reliance on Western frameworks. When African art is filtered too heavily through external references, it can dilute the specificity of the culture it comes from. There needs to be more confidence in presenting the work on its own terms, with its own intellectual and cultural grounding, rather than constantly translating it for outside validation.
From London to Lagos to Singapore, you operate within very different cultural contexts.
How do you adapt your curatorial approach while maintaining a consistent narrative vision?
The context may change, but the core intention remains the same. My focus is on bringing Nigerian and diasporic art into global visibility while staying true to the values embedded within that work. Adapting is about understanding the audience and environment, but not compromising the integrity of the narrative.
What role do women, particularly African women, play in shaping the future of the global art ecosystem, and how can that influence be strengthened?
Women are already playing a central role, often while navigating significant challenges. African women in particular are shaping practice, building networks, and driving cultural production forward. Strengthening that influence requires support systems, investment, and recognition of their authority. They are not emerging voices; they are foundational to the future of the ecosystem.
