Join us at G.A.S. Lagos on December 4th 2024 for Building Artists Estates and Legacies, an afternoon of discussion led by current resident and Curator of Internation Art at Tate Modern, Osei Bonsu, alongside key representatives from the estates of Nigeria’s modernist pioneers. This event will bring together representatives from the estates of the Zaria Art Society (1958–1961), a collective that ushered in a new Nigerian artistic expression, rejecting the curriculum and pedagogy of British colonial education. The Zaria Art Society, founded by visionary artists Uche Okeke, Demas Nwoko, Bruce Onobrakpeya, and Yusuf Grillo, challenged the colonial frameworks of art education, asserting their cultural identity and reimagining the possibilities of artistic practice.

Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of welcoming Osei Bonsu, a British-Ghanaian curator, writer, and art historian, to G.A.S. Lagos for his residency. Based between London and Paris, Osei is the Curator of International Art at Tate Modern, where he works to expand the representation of African and global diaspora artists through exhibitions, collection displays, public programs, and publications.

The earth-brick barn house nestled among cassava and yam fields in southern Nigeria is one of two artists’ residences established by the British-Nigerian artist.

In 2024, Yinka Shonibare Foundation and Guest Artists Space Foundation initiated a partnership with Yale University, marking their first collaboration with the Yale School of Art. Through a highly competitive call and rigorous selection process, this initiative offers the selected artist a fully funded residency, covering flight, local travel, and materials. The first artist chosen for this residency is Avery Youngblood, who will join the Guest Artists Space Foundation at its Lagos center for a six-week residency.