• Nigerian outfit restores hope of creative artists
By Kehinde Aderemi
As part of efforts to promote creative artwork and celebrate artistic prowess, Nigerian- based organisation, ABSA L’Atelier recently played host to arts enthusiasts from across the world. It was at the exhibition of ‘Thorns and Crown’, a solo exhibition by Taofeek Badru.
Badru, an Ogun State-born creative artist, was an ambassador and recipient of the 2022 ABSA L’Atelier award.
The event, held at Alliance Française, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, was the 2025 edition of the Pan-African Gallery Exhibition series, designed to spotlight rising voices in African contemporary art.
The Pan-African exhibition, the organisers said, was in conjunction with the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA).
Chief Executive Officer, Sadiq Abi, explained that the event was to showcase Badru’s talents and ingenuity. He explained that the organisation would continue to celebrate artistic talents.
He applauded the management of Alliance Francaise for being part of the success stories displayed by the celebrated artist, revealing that Badru’s artistic works have also traversed the length and breadth of the continents, even as he continues to showcase his talents as one of the creative artists in the country.
“ ‘Thorns and Crowns’ is more than an exhibition. It is a mirror that shows the duality of leadership, in admiration, its weight, its honour, and its burden. Badru has gifted us something rare, a deeply personal, yet universally recognised body of work.
“He has also been reimagining the Yoruba crown, not just as a symbol of status, but also as that of internal struggle, elevating a local narrative into a global conversation.
“That’s the kind of storytelling we believe in and showcase to the world. At ABSA L’Atelier, creativity and commerce go hand in hand. We have a long and distinguished track record of supporting artists through the L’Atelier competition.
“We have an art collection that is second to none on the continent. Art is part of our story, and we believe strongly that your story matters to us. It is not just about visibility, but it is about artistic development,” he said.
He further raised the hope of arts enthusiasts as well as young and enterprising people with creative talents.
He said the time is ripe for African artists to showcase their creativity, their strengths, their passions, and their desires to be the best versions of themselves.
He gave them the assurances that ABSA L’Atelier would be part of their journey and their experiences, through their creativity, and also showcase their talent to the world.
“In 2022, Badru won the ABSA L’Atelier competition and he has since become our ambassador. He has sustained the record and showcased that Nigerian artists are among the best on the continent.
“Over the last few years, we have had artists from Nigeria, who won the ABSA L’Atelier competition. One of them was Raji Bamidele, who did well with his exhibition last year. He
will also be exhibiting in a few months’ time. That is why we are here.
“As an organisation that is determined to explore the industry, we will continue to make positive impact by helping those artists that are creative in their journey to become global brand of repute and Taofeek Badru is just one of those that we have taken through that journey,” he stated.
He thanked Badru for showing courage, determination and also for his ability to tell the truth.
Meanwhile, Chairman of ABSA L’Atelier, Adedotun Sulaimon, said the organisation’s decision to sponsor the exhibition and several others was in fulfilment of its dream to build and support artists with creative talents.
He said the organisation had, in the last 39 years played key roles by sponsoring Nigerian artists that have demonstrated the will to succeed in the art.
“Art is, no doubt a central part of what we do. Nigerian artists have truly demonstrated their creativity, passion, immense quality across the continent and this is just one opportunity to continue to showcase that they are creative.
“I believe strongly that in the coming years, Badru will transform from not just being an artist that is known in Nigeria, but an artist of international repute and a worthy ambassador for Nigerian creativity.”
Speaking about the technicality of the presentation, Art and Museum Curator, Dr Paul Bayliss, stated that contemporary art is all about creating a balance between the technical execution, proficiency and conceptual delivery of messages.
“We have got a lot of artists that can paint very well, but it is really just a picture. What Badru does with his artistic prowess is the embroidery that is brought into the work.
“ He has used a technique that many artists don’t use. When we think of more traditional techniques, we think of painting oil or acrylic or charcoal, so he brought in embroidery. His work formed a conceptual perspective, looking at the role of leadership, the weight that the leader has to carry and the responsibility that comes with leadership.
“Therefore, there is also a lot of artistic conversations around his work and is truly the balance between the technique and conceptual nature of a good artwork,” he said.
Showcasing his works to his various admirers, Badru also explained why he chose to use the title- Thorns and Crown.
He said the message he was passing across through his works came with deep meaning, adding that the themes he explored in his artwork, reflected the title of dual leadership, especially, in the political context in Nigeria and Africa.
The Abeokuta, Ogun State- born artist also spoke about his humble background, stating that his work is basically a three-in-one artwork, designed to tell the African story and communicate to the world.
“In art, we call it diptych. It is when three works come together as one. So, it is a strategic artwork and it is not possible for somebody to buy one of these. You have to buy the three.
“I use my artistic talents to communicate to the world. And in doing that, I tell the African story, including the struggles, sacrifices and also use it to contribute to the broader Pan-African narratives of identity, vulnerability and tradition.
“My artwork shows that you cannot eat your cake and have it. It shows that everybody wants Africa and Nigeria to be developed, but it comes with various challenges.
“You cannot say you want Nigeria or Lagos to be like New York, London or Canada and you don’t obey simple traffic rules. It has to come with the determination to be ready to face the struggle that will come with the development,” he stated.
The peak moment of the event was when the organisers conducted all the art enthusiasts to the various artworks that were neatly displayed. Captivating visual arts hung on the walls showcases talents, ingenuity, creativity and tradition, richly-layered collection of hand embroidery, bronze sculpture and textile installations.
Apart from these, there were about three triptych artworks that were displayed separately among the beautifully curated drawings and artworks on the shelf that also captured the attention of many of the art enthusiasists.
Also speaking, Marketing Executive, Precious Naador, who stood in for the Director of Alliance Française in Lagos, Mark Rewon, stated that the strong partnership between the two organisations was the reason for the success being celebrated at the exhibition.
“It is fulfilling to be part of ABSA’s project, because it has helped our platform to be able to expose these artists to different audiences beyond the shores of Nigeria and also South Africa,” she said.