VICAN Announces 2026 Djakou Kassi Annual Lecture Series

The Visions in Clay Artists Network (VICAN) has announced the second edition of the Djakou Kassi Annual Lecture Series, scheduled to be held virtually on June 30, 2026. The event will feature renowned ceramic artist and educator Leslie Green Guilbault as the guest speaker.

Titled "Two Practices, One Studio: Managing a Creative and Functional Body of Work Without Losing Your Voice," the lecture will explore the challenges and opportunities artists face in balancing multiple creative pursuits while maintaining a distinct artistic identity.

Organisers say the annual lecture series is designed to provide professional development opportunities for artists, ceramists, students, and cultural practitioners. Participants will gain insights into studio management, creative sustainability, and strategies for navigating both artistic and commercial aspects of contemporary practice.

The online event will take place via Zoom at 8:00 p.m. West African Time, making it accessible to audiences across Africa and beyond. Leslie Green Guilbault, known for her contributions to contemporary ceramics, is expected to share experiences from her practice and offer guidance for emerging and established artists alike.

The lecture forms part of VICAN’s ongoing efforts to strengthen dialogue, knowledge exchange, and professional growth within the ceramics community. Attendance is open to interested participants through the designated Zoom platform.

SCAN Opens Call for Entries for 4th National Biennial Sculpture Exhibition

The Sculptors’ Association of Nigeria (SCAN) has officially announced a call for entries for its 4th National Biennial Sculpture Exhibition, inviting artists nationwide to submit works for the highly anticipated event, scheduled for October 2026 at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos.

The exhibition, themed Traversing Forms, seeks to showcase innovative approaches to sculpture and contemporary artistic expression. Organisers say the biennial has become one of Nigeria’s leading platforms for celebrating excellence in sculptural practice while fostering dialogue among artists, collectors, scholars, and the public.

Professional sculptors, young graduates, and non-members are encouraged to participate by submitting images of their works before the August 29, 2026, deadline. Selected entries will be displayed alongside works from some of the nation’s most accomplished sculptors. 

According to SCAN, the exhibition aims to highlight the evolving language of sculpture and the diverse ways artists engage with form, material, and space. The event is expected to attract significant attention from the arts community and further strengthen Nigeria’s growing reputation as a hub for contemporary sculpture in Africa.

African LGBTQ+ Artists Exhibition at the Smithsonian

A groundbreaking exhibition celebrating the creativity, identity, and resilience of African LGBTQ+ artists is drawing international attention at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art. Titled Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art, the exhibition is the museum's first major showcase dedicated to queer African artistic expression and is currently on view through August 23, 2026.

The exhibition features nearly 60 works spanning photography, painting, sculpture, textiles, and video by approximately 30 artists from Africa and its diaspora. Among the participating artists are South African visual activist Zanele Muholi, Nigerian-British photographer Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Ugandan sculptor Leilah Babirye, Kenyan artist Kawira Mwirichia, and filmmaker Jim Chuchu.

Through diverse artistic approaches, the exhibition explores themes of identity, belonging, migration, memory, spirituality, love, and resistance. The works challenge stereotypes about African societies while amplifying voices that have often been overlooked in mainstream art institutions.

Museum officials describe the exhibition as an opportunity to engage with the richness and diversity of contemporary African experiences. Beyond its artistic significance, the exhibition contributes to broader conversations about representation, inclusion, and cultural heritage in museums around the world.

As visitors continue to flock to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art, Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art stands as one of the most significant African art exhibitions of 2026, offering audiences a powerful reflection on identity, community, and the evolving landscape of contemporary African art.

MICHAEL OMOTOSHO SHOWS “ADULTHOOD”

Title: Copy Copy (acrylic & graphite on canvas, 2026) A collaborative painting by Omotosho and Orecious Egbugara

Title: The Land is a Giant Whale (acrylic on canvas)

Multidisciplinary artist, writer, and art tutor Michael Omotosho is set to debut his highly anticipated solo art exhibition, titled "ADULTHOOD: The Weight, The In-Between, The Becoming,” later this month. The exhibition will run from June 26th to June 28th, 2026, at MADHOUSE, located on Oduduwa Drive within the University of Lagos (UNILAG) campus. Doors open daily at 10:00 AM prompt. 

Omotosho’s latest body of work explores the intense emotional and psychological realities of navigating young adulthood. Utilising a mix of oil painting, textile design, and mixed media, his pieces dive into the unspoken, challenging transitions of growing up in what the artist describes as the "hood, the bad, and the ugly realities" of the human experience. A recurring signature in his work is the "floating head," a powerful motif symbolising suspension, uncertainty, and the quiet internal struggles that define modern youth.

Omotosho

Deeply rooted in community and collaboration, the exhibition features the tagline "Multiple Voices, One Chorus," emphasising shared human experiences. Omotosho approaches loneliness as a pressing global epidemic, using his studio practice to examine how community structures can either alleviate or heighten isolation. The event is organised in partnership with MADHOUSE and The Mio Space.

As a Global Arts in Medicine Fellow and a veteran of prestigious residencies, including the 70 Years of Music in Nigeria residency, Omotosho continues to position art as a critical tool for social dialogue, mental health awareness, and cultural connection. For art collectors, students, and culture enthusiasts in Lagos, this three-day exhibition offers an immersive, thought-provoking mirror into the contemporary African experience of coming of age.

Pretoria Kicks Off Winter with Celebration Group Show

One of the will be on view, by Linda Tyrell

Pretoria’s art scene gets an early dose of colour this week as TERRACONTEMPORARY opens Celebration, a group exhibition featuring 12 South African artists, including Linda Tyrell, Céline Lefort, Kingsley Palime and Leon van Vuuren.

The show opens Thursday, June 25, 2026 and runs through July 23, 2026, at TerraContemporary, 5 Diep-in-die-Berg Street, Wapadrand, Pretoria. The curator Anne Scheffer says the exhibition was conceived as an antidote to mid-year fatigue, bringing together painting, sculpture and mixed media that explore joy, resilience and community.

“After a heavy first half of 2026, we wanted to spotlight artists who still find reasons to celebrate,” a gallery rep noted. The line-up mixes established names with emerging voices, making it one of Pretoria’s most diverse winter openings.

TERRACONTEMPORARY has built a reputation for platforming contemporary SA voices outside the Johannesburg circuit, and Celebration continues that mandate. Expect bold palettes, textured surfaces, and work that leans into optimism without ignoring reality. Opening hours are Wed-Sat, 10am-4pm. The show is free to attend.