Ekow Eshun is a writer and curator. He is Chairman of the Fourth Plinth, overseeing the most prestigious public art programme in the UK, and the former Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. 

He is the curator of exhibitions including, most recently, the internationally acclaimed In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery, London, and author of books including Africa State of Mind and Black Gold of the Sun, shortlisted for the Orwell prize. 

As editor of Arena men’s magazine in the 1990s, he became the first black editor of a UK newsstand magazine and as director of the ICA, 2005-10, he was the first black director of a major UK arts organisation. 

Described by The Guardian as a ‘cultural polymath’, he is the writer and presenter of documentaries including the BBC film Dark Matter: A History of the Afrofuture and the BBC Radio 4 series White Mischief. 

His writing has appeared in publications including the New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian,  The Observer, Esquire, GQ Style, Wired and L’uomo Vogue.