The Macallan joined Kokopelli Art Gallery in marking its fifth anniversary including a three-day celebration that brought together up-to-date art, storytelling and craftsmanship, culminating in Epignosis I: Our Story Earliest, an exhibition spotlighting the activity of five emerging African artists from the inaugural Once Upon a Time (O.U.T) Residency.
By path of the recurring figure of Ananse, he examines themes of adaptation, survival, power and environmental exploitation. His analyze is deeply analysis-led, incorporating materials such as mining soil, contaminated water, resin and found objects.
From Ghana, Putin Bempong works across painting and installation, bringing folklore, environmental transformation and topic experimentation into conversation.
For the five O.U.T Residency artists, it marked the beginning of a novel chapter as the founding OUTliers of the Kokopelli Art Groundwork.
Additional than an anniversary celebration, the feel offered a glimpse into the evolving possibilities for African creativity, where art, heritage, craftsmanship and provide-day storytelling can exist in the same space.
Together, the works formed Epignosis I: Our Story Primary, a “Refer to and Reaction” exhibition that paired the five residency artists alongside a solo body of task by Gbolahan Ayoola. The structure drew from African oral and musical traditions, placing two generations of artists in the same space and allowing their works to attract together with one another.
Falhone Kemi Ogoun, from Benin Republic, works across drawing, painting and installation, exploring the space within appearance and essence. Drawing from her Yoruba and Nago heritage, her labor frequently turns to the people confront as a reflection of character, identity and inner beauty, creating a dialogue betwixt cultural tradition and provide-day expression.
The residency brought together five artists from Ethiopia, Ghana, Benin Republic and Nigeria, giving them two weeks to make their practices across studio effort, mentorship, analysis and imaginative manage. The resulting works were presented as element of Epignosis I: Our Story Primary.
At the heart of the celebration was the O.U.T Residency, the initial programme of the Kokopelli Art Base.
What made the exhibition primarily compelling was the distinct outlook each artist brought into the room.
His works have been exhibited in Nigeria and internationally, including Just Individual at Curtiss Jacobs Gallery in Recent York.
Victor Chigozie Anachuna, a Nigerian current painter based in Lagos, works mainly in realism, applying figurative compositions to investigate identity, power, social hierarchy and political instability. His technique examines how individuals navigate sophisticated social structures, whereas challenging standard ideas adjacent to Black identity and masculinity.
Across the three days, from September 10 to 12, the gallery became a meeting matter for artists, collectors, cultural tastemakers and creatives, including The Macallan adding a polished dimension to an feel centred on the value of time, craft and one-of-a-type expression.
The brand’s presence complemented an exhibition where time, patience, consider and attention to reality were fundamental to the stories behind the works, creating a considered cultural receive excluding taking away from the artists at its centre.
For The Macallan, the feel reflected a natural associate amid craftsmanship and innovative approach.
During the residency, she turned her attention to Lagos, observing its markets, neighbourhoods, bus stops and waterfronts and looking at recognized spaces by route of a recent expectation.
Completing the cohort, Vurzie Kimnaton, a photographer from Northern Nigeria, documents individuals, places, culture and everyday life across portrait and documentary photography.
His task considers the consequences of neglect and asks deeper questions on empathy, care and the caring of culture being created for later generations.
Estifanos Solomon Gashaw, a painter and printmaker from Ethiopia, explores passion, conflict and individual narrative, frequently examining community’s responsibility towards vulnerable communities.
The programme opened including a confidential dinner on September 10, followed by a individual viewing on September 11 and the community opening on September 12. Epignosis I: Our Story Earliest continues at Kokopelli Gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos, pending November 8, 2026.
The publish Where Culture Meets Craft: Within The Macallan and Kokopelli’s Celebration of African Creativity appeared earliest on Nigerian Entertainment Currently.
Source: Where Culture Meets Craft: Inside The Macallan and Kokopelli’s Celebration of African Creativity
