FESTIVAL OF VISUAL ARTS GROUP ART EXHIBITION 2026

 

Curatorial Statement

When I think about Aworan Ajoyo (Festival of Visual Arts), I think about the many ways art brings people together. Every artist has a story, every artwork carries a voice, and every exhibition creates an opportunity for connection. That is the spirit behind this festival.


As Lead Curator, it has been a rewarding experience working alongside my fellow curators, Samuel Avurakoghene Atabeh and Moyinoluwa Victoria, and the participating artists to bring this vision to life. Together, we have created a space where different artistic expressions can exist side by side, encouraging conversations, celebrating creativity, and showcasing the richness of visual arts.


I believe art is more than something we admire on a wall. It preserves culture, reflects our experiences, asks important questions, and reminds us of the beauty that exists in our everyday lives. Whether through photography, drawing, illustration, comic art, textile art, woodwork, or other forms of expression, each work in this exhibition offers a unique perspective and invites you to see the world through the artist's eyes.


My hope is that as you experience Aworan Ajoyo, you will take your time with each piece, discover stories that resonate with you, and leave feeling inspired. Whether you are an artist, collector, student, or simply someone who appreciates creativity, this festival is for you.


Thank you for joining us in celebrating the artists, their journeys, and the power of visual art to connect, inspire, and transform.


Oluwatimilehin Osho

Lead Curator


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Participating Artists:

Adaobi Nwosu, Adeola Ayoyinka Erinfolami, Adeola Modupe Ogunleye, Aishat Musa, Akinwale Badejo, Amara Obi, Amina Fatima Bello, Ayodeji Fashina, Bolanle Maryam Adebayo, Boluwatife Esther Folorunso, Chidi Emmanuel Okonkwo, Chinelo Okeke, Efe Obaseki, Eghosa Omoregie, Emeka Peter Okafor, Fatai Oluwasesan Tijani, Femi Ogunbiyi, Ifeanyi Joseph Nwachukwu, Kehinde Oluwaseun Akinlade, Morenike Osinowo, Ngozi Esther Maduike, Obinna David Eze, Omoye Ogbemudia, Osas Precious Iyoha, Sani Mohammed, Simisola Grace Balogun, Tobiloba Awogbemila, Tunde Abdulrahman Shittu, Usman Danjuma, Zainab Usman


 

LIGHT TRAIL GROUP ART EXHIBITION

 

Curatorial Statement  

Light Trail is a fine art photography exhibition that explores the beauty of movement through light. Created in Molete, Ibadan, the exhibition captures the energy and rhythm of the city after dark, transforming passing vehicles and busy streets into flowing lines of light.


Using long-exposure photography, the participating artists reveal familiar urban scenes in unexpected ways, inviting viewers to pause and appreciate the patterns, motion, and atmosphere that often go unnoticed. Light Trail celebrates the meeting of photography, time, and movement, showing that even ordinary moments can become extraordinary through the artist's lens.


Ezekiel Ogundipe

Lead Curator

 

GENESIS GROUP ART EXHIBITION

 

Every artistic journey begins with a single idea. Genesis presents three artists whose works reflect the process of creation, discovery, and transformation. While each artist approaches their practice from a unique perspective, together their works demonstrate how art serves as a starting point for conversation, reflection, and connection.


Rather than presenting a single narrative, Genesis celebrates the diversity of contemporary artistic expression, encouraging viewers to engage with different materials, concepts, and experiences. The exhibition reminds us that every work of art is a beginning—an invitation to see, question, and imagine anew.



Exhibiting Artists

  • Lolade Koleosho
  • Judah James
  • Modupe Badmus

 

BLACK AND WHITE TRIO EXHIBITION

 

As the curator of Black & White Trio, I am honored to present a collection that removes the distractions of color to reveal the quiet, powerful structure beneath. This commissioned exhibition is the result of a collaboration between Abulente Gallery and Aafin Ilu Cultural Centre, created to explore how three distinct photographers, can speak the same monochrome language while keeping their unique artistic voices. The top 3 artists whose work suited the theme are Akinwale Badejo, Raphael Demehin, and Abiola Sanni. My aim was to bring the works together to create a dialogue between the organic and the constructed, the heavy and the delicate.


The "Trio" at the center of this exhibition represents three perspectives. In these works, we see a fascination with the essentials. By working only in black and white, the artists focus on light and shadow, contrast and texture. Without color, we are invited to look at the core of the image-its form, its grain, and its feeling.


As curator, I arranged the works to take the viewer on a journey. We move from the tangible and earthly to the abstract and spiritual. Whether it is the bright reflection on a drop of water or the deep blacks of a shadowed forest floor, the photographs of Badejo, Demehin, and Sanni encourage quiet reflection. This exhibition is an invitation to slow down and appreciate form, balance, and simplicity.


We are proud to present this exhibition at both Abulente Gallery and Aafin Ilu Cultural Centre, Ede. I hope that as you move through these spaces, you sense both the tension and the harmony in these images. Black & White Trio is not just a photography exhibition; it is a celebration of the art of seeing.


Iramofu Oseh

Curator

 

REFLECTION: A COMMISSIONED GROUP ART EXHIBITION

 

CURATORIAL STATEMENT

I was invited to curate *Reflection*, a group exhibition that brings together the works of three artists with different approaches to art and visual expression.


For me, the exhibition is an opportunity to bring these different perspectives together and allow the works to speak to one another. Each artist reflects on their experiences, observations, and the world around them in their own way. I was particularly interested in how their works encourage us to pause, look closely, and think about what we see and what it means to us.


As a curator, my role was to create a space where these different voices could come together naturally. I hope visitors will engage with the works from their own experiences and find something personal within them.


Oluwafikunayomi O. Ajayi

 

COLOURS: A GROUP PAINTING EXHIBITION

 

Curated by Shegun Oseh


Every painting begins with colour. Whether bold or subtle, vibrant or restrained, colour has the power to communicate emotion, shape meaning, and transform the way we experience an image. Colours brings together a diverse group of painters whose works explore the expressive possibilities of colour through different styles, techniques, and perspectives.


Featuring paintings by Joel Onabambo, Folorunso Oparinu, Hillary Johns, Samuel Avurakoghene Atabeh, Busayo Bamgbola, Titilope Kile, Anthony Anisiebo, Bukola Abiodun, and Solomon Akinniran, the exhibition celebrates the richness and diversity of contemporary painting. While each artist approaches colour in a unique way, together their works demonstrate its ability to tell stories, evoke emotion, and create meaningful visual experiences.


Colours invites viewers to immerse themselves in a vibrant collection of paintings that celebrates colour as both a visual element and a powerful artistic language.

 

NIGHTLIFE GROUP EXHIBITION

 

Curatorial Statement:


As daylight fades, the world transforms. Streets come alive with lights, conversations, movement, and quiet moments that often go unnoticed. Nightlife brings together artists who explore the many experiences that unfold after dark, revealing the beauty, mystery, and energy of the night.


The exhibition examines nightlife beyond entertainment, presenting it as a space of work, reflection, connection, celebration, and survival. Through painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media, the participating artists capture the different rhythms of the night, from bustling city scenes to moments of solitude and introspection.


Curated by Oluwatimilehin Osho, Nightlife invites viewers to look beyond the darkness and discover the stories, emotions, and human experiences that emerge when the sun goes down, reminding us that the night is not simply the end of the day, but the beginning of another world.


Exhibitiing Artists:

Janice Shammah, Abiola Abodunrin, Busayo Omobolade, Janet Ayoka, Ibukun Ogade, Judah Raj.


 

BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

 

Curated by Aduragbemi Abiola


Exhibitiing Artists:

Tobiloba Awogbemila- "Higher Than Me"

Tosin Adeuya- ''Generational Fingerprint"

Ayobami Okeowo- "Peace"

Osuji Johnson - "Look Alike"

Chidi B. Nwafor - ''The Lolo"

Awesome J. Williams - "Moonlight Stories"

Oghenovize Solomon Okeh - ''Fuel For Survival"

Vivian Oluchi Osuagwu - "Labour -Bread Seller"

Tomike AbdulSalam - "Never Again"

Simisola Ajenifuja -''Ola Mi Ti De"


 

COIN SERIES: A GROUP PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

 

Coin Series


Coin series explores the beauty, history, and cultural significance of currencies from different countries through the artistic use of copper coins. The exhibition presents photographic works that transform everyday currency into compelling visual compositions, inviting viewers to look beyond the monetary value of coins and appreciate them as symbols of identity, heritage, craftsmanship, and human connection.


By reimagining these familiar objects through photography, the participating artists encourage audiences to reflect on the stories, cultures, and histories that each coin carries across borders and generations.


Exhibition Dates: 4th – 12th January 2020

Viewing Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Daily