The high expectation for the West Africa’s premier international art fair—ART X Lagos 2026—comes to a grinding halt at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island. Artists, collectors and other artists enthusiasts arrived in trickles since the VIP opening night.
Under the theme “A New Chapter, A New Decade,” the 11th edition assembled leading international galleries, groundbreaking installations, and multidisciplinary creators exploring how cultural inheritance shapes modern expression.
Behind every canvas, installation, and performance is a visionary. Here are six portraits of the standout artists, curators, and cultural figureheads taking centrestage at this year’s fair.
Ladi Kwali & Dr. Jareh Das
Bridging Ancestral Clay and Modern Iconography
At the heart of the 2026 fair is the ART X ICON exhibition, titled Ladi Kwali: Beyond the Vessel. Curated by independent curator Dr. Jareh Das, this showcase centers on the iconic Nigerian potter Dr. Ladi Dosei Kwali.
Kwali, whose image appears on Nigeria’s N20 note, transformed traditional Gbari coil-pottery techniques into internationally celebrated modern ceramics. Das’s portrait as a curator is one of meticulous reverence—assembling historical vessels alongside works by Kwali’s contemporaries (such as Kande Ushafa and Asibi Ido) to map out how indigenous craftsmanship anchors contemporary visual culture.
Moufouli Bello
Bold Figurative Narratives in Indigo and Lemonade
With focus on acrylic on linen, identity, and female empowerment, the Beninese visual artist Moufouli Bello brings her instantly recognisable palette back to the gallery booths this year. Renowned for her figurative paintings depicting Black women with serene, expressive gazes, Bello’s works at ART X Lagos 2026—including Sofia is making Lemonade and Nobody’s Mad At You Tayô—explore themes of self-care, social structures, and liberation.
Bello’s portrait as an artist is defined by her vibrant, layered application of acrylic on linen. Her figures command space with absolute ease, challenging traditional societal expectations and offering a contemporary portal into female agency across West Africa.
Adeniyi Adewole
Etching Identity in Fiberglass and Metal
Nigerian sculptor Adeniyi Adewole stands out at the 2026 fair with a captivating suite of new sculptures, including Float Embrace II and Breath Between the Waters. Working extensively with molded fiberglass, stainless steel, and mixed metals, Adewole crafts flowing, enigmatic forms that mirror the delicate balance between emotional interiority and external environments.
Adewole’s artistic profile is marked by physical scale and technical mastery. His volumetric, polished figures seem almost weightless despite their industrial materials, creating a striking dialogue with visitors navigating the fair’s central pavilions.
Tolulope Ami-Williams
Sculpting Hands and Community Memory
Multidisciplinary artist and educator Tolulope Ami-Williams leads this year’s interactive Schools’ Programme. Taking direct inspiration from Ladi Kwali’s ceramic processes, Ami-Williams has designed a participatory installation where young students and fairgoers shape coils of raw clay by hand to build an evolving, collective sculpture.
Ami-Williams’ portrait highlights the transformative power of art education. Her work breaks down the barrier between audience and artist, proving that cultural inheritance is not just something viewed on a wall, but something physically created together.
Lanre Masha & ART X Live!
Curating Voices, Volume and Visual Vignettes
Visual art in Lagos never exists in isolation from sound, and curator Lanre Masha stands at that intersection through ART X Live! Masha’s portrait reflects the energetic heartbeat of Lagos youth culture, bridging sound design, Afrobeats experimentation, and live visual projections.
By pairing emerging musicians with digital visual artists, Masha turns the fair into a dynamic, live audio-visual playground. His programming highlights how sound acts as a primary canvas for the African diaspora, making ART X Live! one of the most anticipated night-time events of Lagos Art Week.
Tokini Peterside-Schwebig
The Architect of Contemporary African Art
No portrait of ART X Lagos is complete without its founder and director, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig. Since founding the fair in 2016, she has transformed Lagos into a global nexus for contemporary visual art.
As the fair enters its 11th year, Peterside-Schwebig’s vision focuses on institutional growth and cross-regional mentorship. Through expanding initiatives like Art Across Borders and the RESONANCE Residency Programme, her leadership continues to prove that African art platforms can set global standards on their own terms.
