The Rasheed Gbadamosi exhibition kicks off this Friday

As part of the Lagos State Government’s vision and support for the arts, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode would officially declare open the first edition of the Rasheed Gbadamosi Art Expo on Friday, January 27, 2017 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.

The 3-day art exhibition which holds from Friday, 27 to Sunday, 29 is set kick-start activities for the Lagos @ 50 celebrations, showcase the creativity of young and emerging artists and also honour the late Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, who was a playwright and one of the notable art collectors in the country who also served as the co-chairman of the Lagos @ 50 Planning Committee before his death in November 2016.

The Eko Art Expo been receiving favourable response from gallery owners, artists and art students all over Lagos, as hundreds of works were submitted and screened, and the very best have selected for the exhibition.

About 400 artworks and photographs would be on display at the exhibition, which will include artworks from 25 art galleries in Lagos. The exhibition would be curated by Mrs. Sinmidele Adesanya, owner of MyDrim Gallery. While the Director of African Artists Foundation, Mr. Azu Nwagbogu, will curate the photographic component of the expo.

Following an invite by the Lagos State Governor on Monday, January 23, 2017, Nigeria’s number one art collector, Prince Yemi Shyllon would be the special guest of honour on the opening day of the art exhibition.

According to the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Steve Ayorinde, “Governor Ambode’s support had also been spread to Nollywood, music (with the One Lagos Festival (OLF) which held its second edition last December) and other creative endeavours. And to show that his support is not limited to music and movie industries, he wants to use the Eko Art Expo to encourage talents in the visual art”.

The exhibition would be curated along three segments: the photographic part, which is a recreation of the works of several Nigerian artists that were exhibited at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium (Bozar) where Governor Ambode was a special guest in 2016. One hundred photographic artworks from that Bozar exhibition showing different aspects of Lagos under the theme “Dey Your Lane” will be on display at the Eko Art Expo in Lagos.

It will also feature two other segments where paintings, sculptures and installations by students selected from various higher institutions in Lagos State; galleries, well known masters as well as less familiar emerging artists will be on display for three days. The art exhibition is open to all artists and art lovers.

This is a feature by The Lagos State Government