April 18, 2018

Travel Diaries: Visiting the Nike Art Gallery in Lagos, Nigeria

As you all know, this past December I travelled to Lagos, Nigeria to attend a friends wedding. I had quite the experience while in town, which I have already shared a bit about on Instagram and will definitely also share on here.

While in town, I had the opportunity to visit the Nike Art Gallery, which is located in Lekki. I am a big lover of African art, so was excited to learn that Lagos had large and popular gallery showcasing the work of various Nigerian artists.

Here is a look at my time at the Nike Art Gallery and its beautiful art...


Once we arrived at the gallery, upon spotting it's unique gate I already knew I would love the gallery. before you even enter the main gallery, they have a lot of art pieces on display in the front courtyard. It was filled with a large array of dope sculptures and statues made of metal. I was extremely fascinated by the process through which an artist must take to create and mold these beautiful pieces out of mental. I had not seen art like that before anywhere, which goes to show the creativity and uniqueness of Nigerian art.


Eyo Masquerade sculpture
 



After browsing the sculptures outside the gallery and before entering the main gallery, I couldn't help but take a quick fun pic with this huge alligator on display lol.

 

Inside the gallery, I was overwhelmed and blown away by how huge it was and how much art they had on display! I mean, when I say the place is hug, I mean HUGE! I believe the gallery consist of 4 or 5 floors of art; that is a lot. And, when I tell you they had so much art in there, it's not even a joke! There were not just art painting, but also prints, wood art carvings, artistic furniture, beaded jewelry, clothing, I mean everything! However, a majority of the are were painting, in every size imaginable. There were some pieces so big, I wondered how one would be able to carry it out of the space lol. This is the most large scale of African art that I've seen in one space, and  I loved every bit of it!

Portrait of the Ooni of Ife - Ruler of the Yoruba Kingdom
Joseph Eze artwork
One particular artists artwork that I absolutely loved were paintings by Nigerian artist Joseph Eze. His paintings were so dope and gave me all types of melanin magic feels. I would definitely love to own one of his pieces in the near future.



 

I have frequented a lot of markets and art centers that have African on on display, however they usually consist of small paintings, sculptures and jewelry. Therefore, it was very refreshing and was so glad to have the opportunity to experience a place like this. We also got a chance to meet woman who owns the gallery and she was so lovely and welcoming.

So, if you are ever in Lagos, you must visit the Nike Art Gallery! You definitely do not want to miss out on the experience that is the beauty of Nigerian Art. I absolutely look forward to visiting again the next time I am in Lagos :)

To learn more about the Nike Art Gallery, visit their website.

~G~