Abiodun Olaku, Kainebi Osahenye, Nike Davies-Okundaye, Others Set to Exhibit Together

By Joy Eke 

DADA Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria, is set to open Crosscurrents and Affinities, a group exhibition bringing together seven Nigerian artists whose distinct practices reveal different approaches to contemporary happenings.

Opening on September 13, 2026, the exhibition brings together Nike Davies-Okundaye, Kelechi Chinwendu, Chigozie Obi, Abiodun Olaku, Ayotunde Ojo, Kainebi Osahenye and Kadara Enyeasi, creating a cross-generational encounter between established and emerging voices in Nigerian art.

Curated by Anthony Ogochukwu Agbapuonwu, the exhibition examines the varied styles, techniques and philosophies that have shaped the Nigerian art landscape across generations. Rather than presenting a single definition of what Nigerian art should look like, it places different artistic languages in conversation: figurative works embedded with cultural and fantastical narratives alongside landscapes animated by interior and exterior scenes.

At the centre of the show is the idea of connection: artists who differ in approach but share certain cultural, historical or social concerns. The gallery describes the works as sitting at the meeting point between inherited cosmology and lived precarity, the visible and the invisible, the personal and the political, the framework that gives the exhibition its title. By putting established figures in dialogue with younger practitioners, the show also invites viewers to observe how ideas and techniques evolve while continuing to resonate across generations.

That resulting conversation isn't necessarily one of similarity; it's found in the Crosscurrents, the different directions and perspectives moving through contemporary Nigerian art, and in the Affinities that connect seemingly different approaches.

Crosscurrents and Affinities opens on September 13, 2026, at DADA Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria.

Bob-Nosa Uwagboe Puts Society on Trial in "Mass Deportation"

Artist as a Time Tracker

By Udemma Chukwuma

Art can document history without looking like a history book. It can record the anxieties of a particular moment through gestures, faces and symbols, preserving the emotional atmosphere of a society even when the immediate events have passed or are still ongoing.

Thought Pyramid Art Centre Opens Applications for Undiscovered Lagos

Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Lagos, has announced the fourth edition of Undiscovered Lagos, an open call inviting visual artists to submit their work for a chance to gain greater visibility within the Lagos art scene.

Now in its fourth run, the initiative is positioned as a platform for artists, particularly those seeking new audiences, to place their practice before a wider public and potentially gain recognition within the city's creative circles.

Interested applicants are required to submit a 50 word artist biography and a 50 word artist statement, alongside three high definition images of their artworks. Each artwork must be accompanied by essential details, including its title, medium, size, year of production, and price. Applicants are also asked to provide three HD portrait photographs of themselves.

According to the call, submissions should be sent to thoughtpyramidcentretch@gmail.com, with the email subject line reading "UNDISCOVERED LAGOS 4.0 OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS."

The deadline for submissions is September 7, 2026.

For artists who have long sought opportunities to introduce their work to new audiences, Undiscovered Lagos 4.0 offers a timely avenue to put their practice forward and potentially become part of a platform dedicated to discovering fresh artistic voices in Lagos.

Your Art Doesn't Become More Valuable Just Because It's Expensive

By Arts & Culture Place Editorial Team

The same piece of advice keeps being handed to artists, dressed up as wisdom: if it's too accessible, people won't value it. Price high. Restrict access. Let scarcity do the work of convincing people your art matters.

Chika Idu’s 'Pure Water' Submerged Figures, Surfaced Truths

By Udemma Chukwuma 

Chika Idu’s Pure Water, a solo exhibition, returns to a recurring subject in the painter’s work: the human figure suspended beneath water. But this time, the imagery moves into sharper, more critical territory. His figures drift weightlessly through clear water, rendered with a thick, gestural application of paint that makes the surface appear almost alive. There is something serene and liberating about these bodies as they move through the water, yet beneath that beauty sits a more complicated question about purity, freedom and the world we inhabit.