CRAVING ART?
HERE ARE FIVE GALLERIES YOU COULD VISIT IN LAGOS
Whether you’re looking for gorgeous paintings, mind-boggling sculptures or thought-provoking installations, these galleries have the goods. The best part? While you may be unable to afford to make a purchase, perusing these galleries to enjoy amazing works of art is free.
Rele Gallery.
Founded in 2015 to act as a critical interface between the African and international art worlds, Rele Gallery, according to its founder, Adenrele Sonariwo, “is a dynamic contemporary art gallery with two locations between Lagos, Nigeria and Los Angeles, USA. ‘’We represent and exhibit a fine selection of emerging and established artists working across diverse media in Africa and the diaspora”.
Art Twenty 21.
Having directed Lagos Photo Festival 2010, Caline Chagoury went on to initiate Echo Art, an art consultancy firm aiming, in her words,
“to promote and position the value of contemporary art from across Nigeria and Africa.” Art Twenty One is the inaugural project of Echo Art, which has held radical, bold and experimental exhibitions by Nigerian artists Olu Amoda and Odun Orimolade. Located in Victoria Island, Lagos, the Eko Hotel and Suites, it is currently one of the most modern art and gallery space that Lagos has to offer.
This is not an institution that pays homage to heritage but is young, fresh and bold.
Red Door Gallery
With one of the largest private art gallery spaces in Nigeria,
Red Door Gallery is a place for art lovers, art collectors, consultants, and connoisseurs. The gallery has, over time, become known as a space for the unconventional. They are exclusively focused on African art and provide artists with a platform for creativity beyond social boundaries. Their roster includes Peju Alatise, Cyril Oma, Adewale Fatai, James Moore, Olu Spencer, Lemi Ghariokwu and Victor Ehikhamenor.
Nike Art Gallery.
There’s no way to talk about the art scene in Lagos without mentioning Nike Art Gallery. Not your average art gallery, this massive centre hosts over 8,000 works from African artists—and it’s accessible to the public. The centre was founded by Nike Davies-Okundaye, who grew up steeped in her family’s culture of textile making, dyeing, weaving, and painting. She’s been credited with teaching thousands of young Nigerian artists over the last 40 years and providing exhibition space for showing works.
Omenka Gallery.
Omenka Gallery was established in 2003 by Nigerian artist and curator Oliver Enwonwu, the son of Ben Enwonwu (1917-1994), one of Nigeria’s leading 20th-century modernists. It is housed in Enwonwu’s former home and holds one of the renowned artists’ most extensive and best art collections. They also represent artists such as Abass Kelani, Cedric Nunn, Dominique Zinkpè, Ima Mfon and Nnenna Okore.