Events

ART X Lagos 10th Anniversary Celebrates African Creativity

Published

10 months ago

November 16, 2025

ART X Lagos 10th anniversary showcases African creativity with a powerful theme and global participation at its milestone edition

ART X Lagos 10th anniversary concluded on Sunday, November 9, 2025, after four days of rich artistic expression that celebrated African creativity through contemporary art, craft and culture.

Also read: FCT Launches African Weaving Festival 2025 to Celebrate Culture

The milestone edition, themed Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide, drew admiration for its powerful focus on resilience, hope and possibility across African art.

Known this year as 10X, the fair highlighted the ingenuity of artists from Nigeria and across the continent. Although the public exhibition began on November 6, the glamorous VIP Preview on November 7 set the tone for the anniversary celebrations.

Held at the ART X Amphitheatre, the exclusive gathering offered collectors, patrons and select media an intimate look at the presentations before the general opening.

Throughout the fair, the Federal Palace Hotel was transformed into a sprawling art environment featuring the Main Section, Spotlight Galleries, Kids’ Corner, Speakers’ Corner, ART X Cinema and the energetic ART X Live.

One of the standout moments was a tribute exhibition to legendary photographer J.D. ’Okhai Ojeikere, curated from six thousand physical negatives to reveal two hundred rare works spanning more than sixty years.

Over the past decade, the fair has welcomed more than seven hundred thousand visitors from over one hundred and seventy countries, affirming Lagos as a thriving cultural capital on the global stage.

Reflecting on the journey, the founder of ART X Lagos, Tokini Peterside Schwebig, said she felt deep pride introducing the fair for the tenth time. She described this year’s theme as an invitation to rise above challenges by reaching a higher mental and creative space.

Dignitaries in attendance included Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu, Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson Awoyinka, and Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers CEO Olumide Oyetan.

The fair also drew leading voices from the creative industries, with curators Missla Libsekal, Jumoke Sanwo, Teju Okiti, Fikayo Adebanjo and Lanre Masha contributing to the anniversary edition.

Also read: Ezekiel Adamu Wins Mandela Award for African Sports

As the curtains closed, the 10X edition reaffirmed the fair’s bold vision and its enduring commitment to expanding the global presence of African art.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

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Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

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Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”