An art exhibition, ‘Heroes Past’, has debuted in Lagos as Nigerians celebrate the country’s 65th anniversary.

Conceived as a travelling institutional exhibition, Heroes Past opened as the inaugural exhibition at Adegbola Gallery. The exhibition featured rarely seen paintings, sculptures, photographs, and archival paraphernalia honouring Nigeria’s pre- and post-independence leaders, and includes works by Akinola Lasekan, Uche Okeke, Ben Enwonwu, Oyerinde Olotu, Rufus Ogundele, Lady Head, and Doreen Kern. 

Adegbola Art Projects announced the opening of Adegbola Gallery as “a new contemporary art space in Lagos.

Founded by lawyer and cultural entrepreneur Kayode Adegbola, the gallery opened with its inaugural exhibition, ‘Heroes Past’, reflecting on leadership, identity, and memory, on view from Wednesday (today).

Mr Adegbola represents a new generation of African leaders working across art, business, and media.

Through Adegbola Art Projects, his curatorial and advisory platform, he has spent over 15 years building infrastructure for Nigerian artists, championing both established masters and emerging talent, according to a statement released on Monday. 

On launching the gallery and its inaugural exhibition Heroes Past, Adegbola, founder of Adegbola Gallery, said, “Now feels like the right time because Nigeria is at an inflection point. A generation of artists, collectors, and audiences are maturing simultaneously. I wanted to create a community that responds to the moment—by elevating critical dialogue, finding and showcasing exceptional work, and building lasting value around our culture.

“Heroes Past will include paintings and sculptures by Akinola Lasekan, Uche Okeke, Ben Enwonwu, Lady Head, Oyerinde Olotu, Rufus Ogundele, Doreen Kern, as well as archival images and related paraphernalia. I’m really excited about it because of the combination of beauty, historical relevance, and educational value. Exhibiting portraits and busts of Nigerian Nationalists will not only explore the stylistic expressions of Master Nigerian artists, it will also encourage audiences to learn more about how Nigeria came into being.”

According to a statement, the opening of the gallery marks the beginning of a public programme. In November, the gallery will exhibit at Art X Lagos (November 6–9), showcasing new paintings by Adewale Kolawole John, alongside a focused tribute to Akinola Lasekan.