Dr Hassan Aliyu, FRSA, is a British-Nigerian artist and curator working primarily with mixed-media collage. He is President of the Nigerian Art Society UK, a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists, a committee member of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria, a Trustee of 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His work addresses racism, socio-economic instability, and the legacies of historical injustice.
Dr Aliyu earned his BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he received the Nigeria Art Council award for Best Final Year Student. The 1980s import embargo in Nigeria influenced his use of recyclable materials to explore links between colonial history and contemporary neocolonial consumerism. He completed a Professional Doctorate in Fine Art at the University of East London, with a thesis titled “Enslaved by Debt: An Artistic Exploration of Africa’s Colonial Legacy”, examined by Professor Eddie Chambers and Dr Antigoni Memou.
His work combines historical reflection with contemporary economic critique, examining power structures shaping the Global South. Inspired by Mark Bradford and Hew Locke, he layers materials and narratives to challenge entrenched neocolonial and capitalist dynamics. His recent exhibitions include Waves of Change, Artistic Journeys from Nigeria to Britain – a 1-54 London Art Fair Special Project (2024); More Than Meets the Eye, Rele, Mayfair, London (2024); Shared Horizons – the 15th Havana Biennial (2024); The Blue Between Us, Rele, Mayfair, London (2025); and Legacies of Biafra touring exhibition, currently on display at Iwalewahaus, Bayreuth, Germany (8th May–4th October 2025).
