In this edition of Hot Topic on WestAfrica.news, artist and cultural thinker Dr Hassan Aliyu reflects on a subject that is at once geographical, historical and psychological: the representation of Africa on the world map.
For generations, the familiar world map has shaped how people imagine continents, power and place. Yet Africa, despite its vast landmass and central importance to global history, has often appeared visually diminished in common map projections. For Dr Aliyu, this is not merely a cartographic issue. It is also a question of image, identity and inherited perception.
As an artist whose recent work has engaged directly with the theme of resizing Africa correctly on the world map, Dr Aliyu invites viewers to reconsider what they think they know about the continent’s scale and significance. His intervention speaks to a wider cultural argument: that Africa must be seen more accurately, not only in geography, but also in global imagination, education, politics and art.
Dr Aliyu, who recently held a major exhibition in the United Kingdom and serves as President of the Nigerian Art Society, UK, brings the perspective of both the artist and the diaspora cultural advocate. His work challenges audiences to look again at the images they have inherited — and to ask what those images have done to Africa’s place in the world.
This conversation is part of WestAfrica.news Hot Topic, our platform for thoughtful interviews, strong perspectives and deeper conversations on issues shaping West Africa, Africa and the diaspora.
