MOWAA

Creative

Too often, people perceive West African art as an exotic curiosity, rather than a living piece of culture. The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) set out to reshape the narrative.

An animation. A slideshow of colourful artworks and shots of the MOWAA building and interiors, overlaid by the MOWAA logo, the letters jumping around the screen.
A large outdoor billboard featuring a grid of abstract MOWAA logos and colourful artworks, mounted on the side of a building with a clear blue sky above.
The face of a Benin Bronze statue photographed in front of a black background.
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A flag pole banner including artwork from a West African artist and the MOWAA logo written along the bottom in white.
A close-up shot of a hand holding a smartphone displaying a MOWAA art gallery ticket with a QR code on its screen.
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A MOWAA billboard on a sand coloured wall, featuring the expressive logo and various different pieces of artwork from West Africa.
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Heritage reimagined

MOWAA wanted to establish itself as the cultural capital of West Africa, preserving the region’s past heritage and also championing its impact on the present. West African art is always growing and evolving. But it’s also built on long-held traditions and important history. We had to find a balance between these truths, and create a brand and website for MOWAA that could speak to both without compromising either.

An interior render of the exhibition space of MOWAA buildings, featuring 3 models and glass cases for sculptures.
Three magazine covers featuring the MOWAA vertical logo, laying on top of an orange background.
A sand-coloured ticket for a MOWAA Pavilion exhibition.
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Echoes of Edo

West African art has an essential influence on global culture, and MOWAA’s new brand commands the respect that it deserves. Drawing design cues from the architecture of Edo-period courtyards in Nigeria, we created a logo grounded in history that could sit comfortably beside world-class creative institutions.

Hands holding a booklet open to a page that reads ‘Our Programmes,’ featuring an image of artwork by Marcellina Akpojotor.
A perfect-bound booklet. The cover image shows a vertical MOWAA logo in white atop a photo of a Benin Bronze.
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An aerial view of the Rainforest Gallery, a modern, large brick building with sleek metal roofs, nestled in a lush green forest.
An animation of the MOWAA website interface over a West African sculpture photo. It showcases search and tagging, an artwork slideshow with clickable details, and an expanding nested menu.
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Connecting to culture

We redesigned MOWAA’s website to make a mark online, announcing it as a centre of excellence in the arts sector. And as MOWAA is constantly growing, we built the functionality and UX with flexibility in mind — giving the museum space to share more knowledge and connect with more people into the future.

Hands holding a tablet open to the MOWAA website homepage.
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Hands holding an iPhone, with Spotify playlist Our Africa playing on screen.
A mockup of a MOWAA branded Instagram post.
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A close-up of a statue's face in profile, photographed on a black background.
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Preserve, expand, celebrate

Equipped with its new website and brand, MOWAA is ready to reclaim the narrative — and share the truth about West African art and culture with the world for years to come.

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