ART X Lagos Concludes 11th Edition, Ushering in “A New Chapter, A New Decade”

West Africa’s leading international art fair celebrated Nigeria’s artistic heritage and the evolving landscape of contemporary African creativity, bringing together artists, galleries and cultural practitioners for four days of exhibitions, performances and cultural exchange.

From L–R:

Mrs Nike Bajomo, Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers; Mr Bolaji Balogun, Chief Executive Officer, Chapel Hill Denham; Mr Atedo Peterside, CON, Chairman, Anap Jets FZE; His Excellency, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State; Mrs Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder and Director, ART X Lagos; Mr Akin Ogunranti, Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc; Mr Eric Idiahi, Group Chief Executive Officer and Founder, EverCorp Industries for Champion Brands; Mr Seyi Ajibola, Founder, ZTL Liquids Transfer Limited; and Mr Stephen Kauma, Group Managing Director, Human Resources, Afreximbank, at the Opening Ceremony of the 11th edition of ART X Lagos, held at Federal Palace, Lagos, over the weekend.

ART X Lagos, West Africa’s leading international art fair, has concluded its eleventh edition, held from 5–8 November 2026 at the Federal Palace, Lagos, welcoming artists, galleries, collectors, curators, cultural practitioners and audiences from Nigeria and beyond for four days of exhibitions, performances, conversations and cultural exchange.

Held under the theme “A New Chapter, A New Decade,” the 2026 edition drew inspiration from the pioneering generation of artists, architects, educators and thinkers who shaped modernism in Nigeria, celebrating the enduring influence of cultural heritage on contemporary African creativity.

Through a multidisciplinary programme spanning visual art, music, film and education, the fair brought established and emerging voices into dialogue, creating opportunities for artistic discovery, collaboration and engagement with the histories and experiences shaping African art today.

The 11th edition commenced with a private Collectors’ Preview on Thursday, 5 November, followed by its Official Opening Ceremony on Friday, 6 November. Ahead of the opening, Founder and Director Tokini Peterside-Schwebig welcomed international delegations for private tours, including members of the Tate International Council and a Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) delegation led by Afreximbank and Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, alongside Rwanda’s Honourable Minister of State for Youth and Arts, Ms Sandrine Umutoni. The visits provided opportunities for cultural exchange and engagement with the galleries, artists and special projects presented at this year’s edition.

The official Opening Ceremony brought together distinguished guests from the public and private sectors, including His Excellency, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State; the Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Lagos State, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka; and the Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Lagos State, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem.

Also in attendance were Mr Atedo Peterside, CON, Chairman of Anap Jets FZE; Mr Akin Ogunranti, Executive Director, Zenith Bank PLC; Dr Adobi Nwapa, Executive Director, Zenith Bank PLC; Mr Stephen Kauma, Group Managing Director, Human Resources, Afreximbank; Mr Bolaji Balogun, Chief Executive Officer, Chapel Hill Denham; Mrs Nike Bajomo, Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers; and Mr Eric Idiahi, Group Chief Executive Officer and Founder, EverCorp Industries, representing Champion Brands; Mr Seyi Ajibola, Founder of ZTL Liquids Transfer Limited; alongside members of the ART X Lagos Advisory Board, including Femi Lijadu, N’Goné Fall and Papa Omotayo.

Speaking at the Official Opening Ceremony, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder and Director of ART X Lagos, shared:

“As ART X Lagos enters this new chapter, I am thinking more about the depth and sustainability of the impact we can create.

Over the past ten years, we have demonstrated that an institution conceived and built in Africa can establish itself as an internationally recognised platform, attract global audiences and contribute meaningfully to our creative economy.

The next phase is about building on that foundation with greater ambition and intention. As we look ahead, I want us to continue building a cultural institution that is grounded in excellence, deeply original in its thinking and expression, and unapologetically true to who we are.”

A special moment during the ceremony saw Founder and Director Tokini Peterside-Schwebig present Governor Sanwo-Olu with a certificate of appreciation, recognising his longstanding support for ART X Lagos and his commitment to art and culture in Lagos.

The evening concluded with the Official VIP After-Party at VICI, featuring a captivating, interactive live performance by singer-songwriter Falana, bringing together the art community and friends of the fair for a night of music and celebration.

Key Highlights of ART X Lagos 2026

Galleries

The 2026 edition brought together 15 galleries across its Main and Spotlight sections, showcasing established and emerging artistic voices from Africa and its diaspora.

Participating galleries included Affinity Art Gallery, Afriart Gallery, Alexis Galleries, AMG Projects, Gallery 1957, kó, Kokopelli Gallery, Nike Art Gallery, O’DA Art, SMO Contemporary Art, TAFETA and Yenwa, alongside Adegbola Gallery, Nomadic Art Gallery and Windsor Gallery in the Spotlight Section.

Together, their presentations reflected the diversity of contemporary African artistic practice, fostering discovery and exchange among artists, galleries, collectors and audiences.

ART X ICON — Ladi Kwali: Beyond the Vessel

One of the anchor exhibitions of the 2026 edition was ART X ICON – Ladi Kwali: Beyond the Vessel**,** an exhibition honouring the extraordinary legacy of pioneering Nigerian potter Ladi Dosei Kwali.

Conceived and developed by curator Dr. Jareh Das and sponsored by Zenith Bank, the exhibition brought Kwali’s artistic mastery into focus alongside the women potters and traditions that shaped her practice. Bringing together ceramics, archival materials and works from different generations of potters, it offered audiences an opportunity to encounter an important chapter of Nigeria’s cultural history beyond the familiar image of Kwali on the twenty-naira note.

Extending this engagement with her legacy, The Masterclass, also supported by Zenith Bank, provided ten emerging artists with opportunities for learning, mentorship and exchange with established practitioners, connecting Kwali’s pioneering work with a new generation of creative talent.

Art Across Borders — Walkers with the Dawn

Sponsored by Afreximbank, Walkers with the Dawn brought together five artists from across Africa: Victor Ehikhamenor (Nigeria), Kiluanji Kia Henda (Angola), Georgina Maxim (Zimbabwe), Kaloki Nyamai (Kenya), and Ghizlane Sahli (Morocco) to examine the possibilities of collective artistic practice.

The programme highlighted practitioners whose work extends beyond the studio into education, community-building and the development of cultural infrastructure, offering new perspectives on how African artists are creating opportunities for collaboration and sustaining creative communities.

Special Projects

Among the fair’s special projects was Residues of Past Encounters II, 2026 by Ndidi Dike, curated by N’Goné Fall and sponsored by Chapel Hill Denham.

Centred on a weathered canoe evoking the history of Badagry’s Point of No Return, the installation confronted the enduring legacies of the transatlantic slave trade, creating a powerful encounter with histories of displacement, memory and loss.

The ART X Library, curated by Missla Libsekal and sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, provided a space for visitors to engage with African intellectual and creative traditions through books, research and shared knowledge featuring books kindly on loan from the G.A.S Foundation.

At Speakers’ Corner, Moving Parts, an immersive installation by Yinka Bernie, co-curated by Papa Omotayo and Fikayo Adebajo, drew inspiration from Lagos’ pedestrian bridges, exploring connections between people, places and generations through sound and image. Visitors were invited to select a question card and record their responses through a microphone, contributing their voices to the experience.

ART X Cinema

ART X Cinema continued to broaden the fair’s multidisciplinary offering, with moving-image works integrated across exhibitions and programmes.

Highlights included Mothers of Chibok by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson, which brought the experiences and resilience of the women of Chibok into focus.

The programme also celebrated 100 years of Nigerian cinema, with historian and curator Ed Keazor presenting a lecture-performance tracing the evolution of Nigerian storytelling through film and the country’s journey towards reclaiming its own cinematic gaze.

ART X Live!

Curated by Lanre Masha and sponsored by Champion Brands, ART X Live! celebrated a new generation of artists shaping the sound of contemporary African music.

The lineup featured taves, Kunmie, Solana, EKENE, LULU, Lodù, Nora and WEAREALLCHEMICALS with a special appearance by Ladipoe bringing together musical influences ranging from African-inflected pop and soulful fusions to new interpretations of Afrobeats.

Rooted in culture, language and place, yet open to new influences and possibilities, the performances reflected an evolving African musical landscape and the creativity of a generation reimagining its sounds and stories.

ART X Talks

ART X Talks brought together artists, curators, filmmakers and cultural thinkers for conversations exploring artistic legacies, historical memory and the power of storytelling, extending the ideas presented across the fair’s exhibitions and special projects.

In a session dedicated to Ladi Kwali: Beyond the Vessel, curator Dr. Jareh Das presented a documentary examining the life and work of the pioneering Nigerian potter, followed by a conversation with ceramic artist **Isis Dove-**Edwin. Together, they reflected on Kwali’s enduring influence, the evolution of ceramic practice and the experiences of women artists forging their own paths.

Artist Ndidi Dike joined curator N’Goné Fall and art collector Femi Lijadu for a conversation exploring her career, artistic practice and the histories that continue to inform her work. The discussion complemented her special project, Residues of Past Encounters II, 2026, presented at the fair.

The programme also featured Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson, whose documentary Mothers of Chibok was presented through ART X Cinema. Following the screening, Benson joined a conversation moderated by Falana exploring the power of film to reshape how stories of tragedy, resilience and humanity are seen, remembered and understood.

The Development Forum

The Development Forum brought together artists and leaders of independent creative spaces to examine how African practitioners are building the communities, institutions and structures that enable artistic practice to thrive.

Titled Laying Ground, Lifting Horizons: African Artists as Builders, the programme connected four Art Across Borders artists who have founded or co-founded initiatives supporting artistic practice with the people behind independent creative spaces in Lagos.

Participants included Kaloki Nyamai of Kamene, Kenya; Georgina Maxim of Village Unhu, Zimbabwe; Ghizlane Sahli of Initiatives with Female Moroccan Artisans, Morocco; and Kiluanji Kia Henda of KinoYetu, Angola. They were joined by Tushar Hathiramani of 16/16, Moni Aisida of GAS Foundation, Wura Natasha Ogunji of Treehouse, and Faridah Folawiyo of FF Projects, all based in Lagos.

Moderated by Fikayo Adebajo and Nelson C.J, the forum explored how independent creative spaces take shape, sustain themselves and contribute to their surrounding communities. Drawing on experiences across Nairobi, Harare, Marrakech, Luanda and Lagos, the discussion highlighted the importance of developing sustainable creative ecosystems and the growing role of African artists as institution-builders.

Schools’ Programme and Families at the Fair

The fair’s commitment to arts education remained an important part of its 2026 programme.

Sponsored by ZTL Liquids Transfer Limited, facilitated by artist and educator Tolulope Ami-Williams, and organised in partnership with Teach for Nigeria, the Schools’ Programme introduced 750+ young Nigerians to artistic expression through activities inspired by Ladi Kwali’s legacy.

Through hands-on engagement with clay, storytelling and creative exploration, the programme encouraged students to connect with Nigeria’s artistic traditions while developing their own creative perspectives.

Three outstanding students were recognised for their creativity, imagination and artistic promise: Shakirat Ayomide Tijani of Oluwa Memorial Junior Secondary School; Raphael Ozogwue of Boys Junior Academy; and Victory Ocheleka of Creek Junior High School. Each student received gifts in recognition of their work and artistic potential.

Complementing this initiative, The Kids’ Corner participatory activities provided opportunities for children and families to experience art together, reinforcing ART X Lagos’ commitment to making cultural engagement accessible across generations.

Since its founding in 2016, ART X Lagos has grown into an internationally recognised cultural institution, welcoming over 700,000 visitors across its editions. The 2026 edition reinforced its commitment to strengthening Africa’s cultural ecosystem through artistic exchange, education, international partnerships and opportunities for emerging talent, while connecting African artists and their work with audiences around the world.

ART X Lagos 2026 was proudly sponsored by Zenith Bank, Afreximbank, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Chapel Hill Denham, Champion Brands, AnapJets, ZTL Liquids Transfer, MTN Nigeria and Patrón.