Nigerian interdisciplinary artist Olufela Omokeko, whose practice examines pressing sociocultural issues through performance, installation, photo-video art, and social practice, recently concluded an eight-week residency at the G.A.S. Farm House in Ikise. During his time there, he focused on the disappearance of local food cultures and the preservation of traditional farming knowledge, exploring these themes through a multi-sensory engagement with land, labour, and sustenance. Drawing inspiration from Ebenezer Obey’s 1976 song Operation Feed the Nation, Olufela reimagined the hoe, a key Yoruba agricultural tool, as both a sculptural and symbolic element that honours the resilience and cultural presence of farmers.

We are pleased to welcome E.N. Mirembe, a Germany-based curator, writer, and researcher, for a four-week residency at G.A.S. Lagos. Their work explores the intersections of literature, curatorial practice, and Black artistic production, with a particular focus on the histories and legacies of African and diasporic literary magazines. Mirembe’s broader inquiry reflects an interest in how these publications have shaped aesthetic production across the African diaspora and how their legacy continues to inform contemporary creative practices.

G.A.S. Foundation is pleased welcome ruby onyinyechi amanze, a U.S. based visual artist, to G.A.S. Lagos for a two-week residency. Grounded in drawing, her practice expansively traverses dance, architecture, design, and fashion to explore the vast and magical potential of space. Working with seven recurring elements, amanze creates minimal spatial interactions that imagine alternative ways of movement. Her current research focuses on developing three-dimensional drawings that challenge how the medium is experienced, informed by the dimensional languages of architecture, design, and choreography.

Earlier this month, we welcomed Kwadwo A. Asiedu, a Lagos-based Ghanaian-Mexican painter and photographer, to the G.A.S. Farm House in Ikiṣẹ. Raised within the grounds of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), home to one of West Africa’s largest preserved rainforests, Kwadwo’s early life was deeply attuned to the natural world. This foundation informs a visual practice rooted in abstracted landscapes and a sustained inquiry into humanity’s complex relationship with nature. Through his use of elemental forms, he interrogates the dissonance between human ambition and ecological reality, exploring themes of permanence and impermanence while seeking to reframe our relationship with nature toward reverence, humility, and stewardship.

Join us at G.A.S. Lagos on October 17th, 2025, for Perpetual Motion People, a presentation of research and reflections on the legacies of Nigerian art by current resident Chinyere Obieze. Through readings, research notes, and reflections gathered during her residency, Chinyere explores how generations of Nigerian artists have shaped meaning in times of change, from the pre- to post-Independence eras. Her project examines the personalities, motivations, and ideals that defined each artistic moment and considers how these legacies continue to influence the present.

On October 2nd, G.A.S. Lagos hosted a fundraising dinner supported by our trustee Niyi Adenubi, which brought together collectors, cultural leaders, and art enthusiasts for an evening of ideas, connection, and a shared vision for the future of Nigerian art and culture.

Earlier this week, we welcomed Daniel Minter, an American painter, illustrator, and educator, to G.A.S. Foundation for his residency. His multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, drawing, printmaking, installation, and crafts, often addressing themes of displacement and diaspora informed by his extensive travels across Africa and the wider African Diaspora. Beyond his artistic practice, Daniel is the co-founder and artist director of Indigo Arts Alliance,a Maine-based arts incubator that brings together artists from diverse backgrounds of the African Diaspora to engage in their creative processes. Through multidisciplinary residency and fellowship programs rooted in a Black-led approach to creativity, community-building, and mentorship, the organization's mission addresses the underrepresentation of Black and Brown artists across disciplines in the local, national and global context. 

We are delighted to welcome Joëlle “Joey” Aresoa, a multidisciplinary artist from Madagascar, for a six-week residency at G.A.S. Foundation, Lagos. She joins us as the inaugural Fondation H resident, part of a new cross-residency programme developed between Antananarivo and Lagos. Working across painting, sculpture, installation, performance, film, literature, and digital media, Joey’s practice explores memory, identity, and oral transmission through the lenses of storytelling and symbolism. Her work often weaves poetry and visual art together, reactivating myths and legends while addressing erasures within collective narratives.

We are delighted to share recent achievements from G.A.S. alumni, who continue to make significant contributions across the global arts landscape. From Kosisochukwu Nnebe’s ambitious textile-inspired installation at UNFAIR Amsterdam, to TK Smith’s curatorial projects exploring diaspora and belonging, to Tobi Onabolu’s recognition with the 2025 Aesthetica Art Prize, these updates highlight the breadth of practices and critical dialogues being shaped by our community.

Last week, we were pleased to welcome Adewale Kolawole John, a painter based in Ibadan, Nigeria, for a month-long residency at G.A.S. Lagos. His practice draws on the rich legacies of Yoruba traditional music, with a focus on juju. Through paintings informed by research and personal encounters with music, record sleeves, and performance histories, he creates textured portraits of Yoruba musicians in traditional attire, capturing not only their likeness but also the spirit and atmosphere of their soundscapes.