Recent data counts about 358 art galleries in Lagos. This data shows that art and its appreciation are not strange in the creative ecosystem in Nigeria, with Lagos holding centre stage as the hub of both traditional and contemporary art. The numerous top art galleries, artists, art schools, museums, art shows, and exhibitions in the city of Lagos support this claim.

We must critically examine how these top art galleries in Lagos have contributed to an increase in exhibitions and their participation, the emergence of artists, and ultimately, how visitors can benefit from the growth of the art and culture scene. 

Top Art Galleries in Lagos You Should Visit

Lekki, Ikoyi, and Ikeja have the highest numbers of art galleries compared to other cities. Some of these art galleries are considered top-tier due to their collections, categories of art, locations, and customer engagement metrics, such as reviews and ratings, and, most importantly, their impact on cultural tourism.

Nike Art Gallery

Situated in Lekki, this is the most extensive art gallery in West Africa, featuring approximately 8,000 artworks from various categories and collections, spanning contemporary to modern art. Chief Nike Davies-Okundeye founded the art gallery,  an artist known for her textile design and embroidery pieces.

Exploring Lekki’s vibrant art scene, notably the Nike Art Gallery and similar cultural gems, is best done over a few days. Fortunately, you’ll find numerous top-rated hotels in Lekki that offer easy access to these landmarks and other nearby attractions.

Terra Kulture

Bolanle Austen-Peters founded the Terra Kulture in 2003. The art gallery was an educational and cultural centre for Nigerian languages, arts, and culture. It features a restaurant, art gallery, art auction house, bookstore, theatre, production studio, and an academy dedicated to the promotion and study of art.

Rele Gallery

Adere Sonaiwo founded the Rele Gallery, located on Onikan, Victoria Island, Lagos. It is a part of the Rele Arts Foundation, with the vision to bring Nigerian art to global markets. 

It focuses on young, contemporary, and emerging artists by organising several contemporary programs and exhibitions, such as Tech Meets Art, annually, to nurture and support artists.

Omenka Gallery

Founded by Oliver Enwonwu, an art administrator, at Ikoyi. It is popular for its exhibition featuring Nigerian contemporary artists, including the hyperrealism group, which showcases emerging Nigerian talent, thanks to its research capabilities through extensive documentation and publications.

How to Experience the Lagos Art Scene Like a Local

As an art lover in Lagos, the best way to experience the local art scene is to attend art galleries and open exhibitions. And these are five ways for you to do that with ease and steeze.

• Attend foundational galleries: These are the galleries that birthed the art movement in Lagos, legends in the game who have shown depth and genuine affection for art and culture, founding them, including Nike Art Gallery, Rele Gallery, Omkan Gallery, Universal Studios of Art, Mydrim Gallery, and Nimbus Art Gallery, among others.

• Attend Exhibitions and Art Events: Attending art exhibitions will allow you to engage with the richness of modern African art and street art. Art Events are also must-not-miss, such as the Lagos Biennial, Open Studios Lagos, and Art X Lagos, among others. This exhibition will provide you with an opportunity to experience art installations and appreciate art in Nigeria at its finest.

• Joining an Art club or workshop: Art clubs and creative spaces in Lagos will introduce you to a robust cultural scene around Lagos, ensuring that you stay up to date with all art-related events happening in the city. 

• Exploring the Art Market: Many might see art buying and curation as expensive, but true art lovers can still find art shops where they can purchase modern African art without breaking the bank, such as the National Museum Craft Market at Onikan and the Lekki Arts & Crafts Market at Jakande.

Buying Art in Lagos, What You Should Know

Buying art is an age-old business that has been passed down from one generation to another across all races, and its technicalities remain essentially unchanged, even in Lagos.

Before buying an Art in Lagos, here are the things that must be in proper accordance. 

• Understand the Art: Before you venture into buying art in Lagos, you must understand the art and realise what Lagos offers, a diverse range of art. It encompasses traditional Nigerian arts, contemporary arts, functional and decorative arts, as well as textile arts. This diversity can make one feel clueless about what to buy, but with an understanding of each art form, you will be able to identify which one you are interested in and want to purchase. 

• Knowledge of the Art Market: After understanding the diversity of Lagos Art and showing interest, you must be able to know where to buy it authentically, which is the art market. You can buy from established galleries ( Nike Art Gallery, Rele Gallery, Ko Gallery) and art markets.

• Pricing and value know-how: Knowing art and the market is not the same as understanding the price value of it. To determine this, you must know there are three levels of values based on the career stage of the artist you are buying from: if they are emerging, mid-career, or big-name artists.

• Art Sentiment: Before buying art in Lagos, it is essential to understand the artist’s sentiment regarding the art or the story behind it. This understanding will allow you to learn about the materials used in its creation, as well as the message (or inspiration) behind it. 

• Originality: You can attend art shows and university showcases, where you can buy original art directly and at lower prices. You must be able to understand the intellectual property rights surrounding it and verify that it is not stolen or misattributed.

How Emerging Artists Can Get Into Lagos Art Galleries

Emerging Artists are the present and future of the Lagos Art ecosystem; they are bridging together contemporary African art and modern African art, with strong visual storytelling and raw artistic expression. 

The best way for emerging artists to reach the pinnacle of their art career is to exhibit in Lagos Art Galleries, which provides more exposure and visibility for their artworks. Here are a few tips to achieve this:

• Building an Art Portfolio: As an emerging artist, the best way to have an organised curation of your work is to have a portfolio. The portfolio should include 10-15 of your best works, presented in a PDF or on a website. The portfolio must be consistent in character, quality, and style to show coherence in artistic expression, with a clear title and a little explanation of the work.

• Apply for Open Calls: Many art galleries offer calls for artists seeking mentorship and artistic exposure. These calls are one of the best ways to gain admission to an Art Gallery program in Lagos.

• Gallery Openings and Art Events: One of the best ways to gain access to these galleries is to frequent them as an emerging artist and attend their gallery openings and art events. Try to introduce yourself to curators, gallery coordinators, and fellow artists. Emerging artist can also approach Galleries professionally with their works and portfolios.

• Collaboration: This is also a viable way to gain access to these galleries; emerging artists can collaborate with other emerging artists to form local art communities or with established artists to create exhibitions or co-create collections.

• Apply for Residencies or Grants: Residencies are organised programs spearheaded by top galleries or art forums to help emerging artists grow, create new works, and gain credibility in the ecosystem.

Opportunities for Artists: From Exhibitions to Residencies

Positioning oneself for opportunities as emerging artists, from exhibitions to residencies, involves following galleries on all their digital platforms, joining artist groups, curating a strong digital portfolio, building a personal brand, applying consistently, and attending events and art fairs. Tips like this will ensure that no opportunities go past you.

Here are some of the opportunities to look out for as an emerging artist:

Exhibitions:

• Rele Gallery’s Young Contemporaries Program: The Young Contemporaries program is a project that includes a residency and exhibition programme dedicated to guiding and refining the work of early-career artists. 

• Terra Kulture Art Exhibitions: The founder of Terra Kulture, Bolonle Austen-Peters, has organised over 300 art exhibitions.  

• Art X Lagos Projects: This is one of Africa’s largest art fairs, showcasing diverse artistic expressions. It is known for its projects that revolve around culture and society. 

• Alliance Francaise Lagos: This institution is a non-profit initiative that trains Nigerians in French. It encompasses dance, cinema, photography, literature, music, theatre, and more. It hosts regular art shows featuring emerging artists.

Residencies

• Guest Artist Space (GAS): Founded by Yinka Shonibare, a Nigerian-British artist, GAS is a non-profit initiative that delivers residencies and art programmes across two cities (Lagos and Ijebu). They host multidisciplinary artists, researchers, and curators from all over the world by awarding them residencies for up to three months.

• Art House Foundation Residency: A non-profit initiative and artistry program that offers residencies to promote contemporary arts in Nigeria. They offer residency twice a year, around Summer and Fall, for three months. 

• Other opportunities include grants such as the Art X Prize and the Prince Claus Seed Awards.
  

Iconic Personalities Behind Lagos’ Art Renaissance

Art Galleries in Lagos have influenced the art ecosystem, but who are the icons behind this Lagos Art Renaissance? Here are the personalities behind Lagos’ art movement..

• Nike Davies-Okundaye is the founder of Nike Art Gallery, one of the most extensive galleries in West Africa. She is renowned for being a cultural icon who has invested significantly in the art ecosystem through the training of thousands of artists in textile and visual arts, as well as in curating artworks from emerging and veteran artists. 

• Tokini Peterside-Schwebig is a Nigerian entrepreneur and art collector who founded the largest international Art Fair in West Africa, known as Art Fair Lagos, which she launched in 2016.

• Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: He is a British-Nigerian artist known for his innovative approach to conceptualising textiles and creating political art. He is said to be a popular figure in discussions about bridging the African art ecosystems, the diaspora, and other international communities, advocating for investment in local creatives.

• Bisi Silva (1962–2019): She is known for founding the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, and the Asiko Art School. The former was opened in December 2007 to foster art research and critical conversation around contemporary art. She is a meticulous curator of African art who has significantly influenced curatorial practice in Lagos and Africa at large. 

• Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya is a pioneer of contemporary art in Nigeria and an educator, having founded the Harmattan Workshop in 1999, a non-governmental organisation in Delta State, where he offers residencies and trains new generations of artists.

Other honourable mentions include Peju Alatise, Kavita Chellaram, Ndidi Dike, Azu Nwagbogu, and Olufemi Akinsanya, among others. 

The Cultural Impact of Lagos’ Art Galleries

The presence of Art Galleries in Lagos has transformed the city into a leading hub for cultural and traditional preservation within the art ecosystem. They have been able to establish a tone of originality, identity, and creativity.

From traditional pieces like Adire and Batik clothing to realism and contemporary art installations, these Art Galleries have positively impacted art appreciation and the cultural education of society.

Here are some of the direct visible impacts:

• Global Elevation of Nigerian Contemporary Art: Through its workshops, exhibitions, and art fairs, Lagos’ art galleries have successfully drawn the attention of the international community to the originality and quality of Nigerian contemporary art. Global fairs have partnered with Nigerian institutions, enabling Nigerians to secure international residencies and features in international museums. 

• Cultural and Art Education: The galleries not only display and exhibit art, but they are also research-oriented. They organise workshops, symposia, and lectures by bringing artists from all over to create an atmosphere of art dialogue and conversation.

• The Growth of Emerging Artists: Without these Art Galleries, which help discover, train, mentor, and provide visibility to emerging artists, it would have been difficult for them to nurture themselves.

• Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Tourism: Visiting an art gallery is not just about sightseeing the arts, but also about experiencing how cultures are preserved from one generation to the next.

• Establishing the Creative Economy: The creative economy in Nigeria is projected to be valued at $15 billion by 2025 and could contribute $100 billion to the country’s GDP by 2030. This projected value is a result of the contribution of these Art Galleries, which have not only attracted investors but also created jobs and a thriving market within the industry.

Conclusion

Exploring Art Galleries in Lagos is not just a part of society, but an integral part that contributes to its preservation and economic growth. Lagos’ art galleries can achieve this by offering opportunities to both visitors and artists to express their interests in art.

We are all part of these movements, from discussing the arts, liking and sharing content on our digital platforms, visiting exhibitions, donating, purchasing artworks to show support, and also creating. 

As an arts lover, which art gallery would you pick to visit or explore? Please share your thoughts in the comment section, and don’t forget to share this with a friend.