Follow Us on Google
By Damiete Braide
An exhibition of paintings by Paris-based artist Francis Mbella has opened in Lagos, marking his first-ever showing in Nigeria and offering audiences a rare encounter with one of contemporary painting’s most distinctive voices.
Titled ‘Light Knows the Way’, the exhibition is on display at Kokopelli Gallery, Ikoyi and will run till April 19. The showcase is curated by TPC Art House and co-presented by Princess Ifedolapo Onikoyi of Artfrofest, Paris.
Featuring 17 works produced over three decades, the exhibition spans Mbella’s evolving practice from 1992 to 2024. The collection includes oil and tapioca-based works on hardboard, as well as large-format prints, presenting a comprehensive survey of an artist widely recognised for redefining the material possibilities of painting.
Born in 1961 into an artistic family, his father a sculptor and his mother a fashion designer, Mbella developed an early fluency in visual expression. He later trained at the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, graduating in 1987. Over time, he pioneered what is now known as the Tapioca Relief technique, a process that involves embedding cassava flour into layers of oil or acrylic paint.
This technique creates textured surfaces that shift with light and perspective, positioning the works between painting and sculpture. Art observers note that the method gives Mbella’s canvases a physical depth and dynamism that cannot be fully captured through photography.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Mbella’s work has been exhibited in over 200 shows across five continents, including at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Galeria Choque Cultural in São Paulo, the Diego Rivera Gallery in San Francisco, and SMAC Gallery in Cape Town. His works are also held in major private collections around the world.
The artist’s contributions have attracted international recognition from notable figures such as former French presidents Jacques Chirac and François Hollande, actress Catherine Deneuve, footballer Samuel Eto’o and Pope Francis, who in 2015 honoured him as a Humanist Professor for his cultural impact.
Other News
According to the organisers, Light Knows the Way explores light not merely as an aesthetic element but as a guiding force. The exhibition is structured around three thematic strands, Territories, Thresholds and Presence, through which Mbella’s works examine movement, identity and spiritual orientation.
On the curatorial approach, Princess Onikoyi noted that light in Mbella’s paintings often emerges from within the composition, whether from the sky, architectural forms, or figures, serving as a metaphor for direction and inner clarity.
A key dimension of the exhibition is its engagement with the history of cassava, the central material in Mbella’s signature technique. Introduced to Africa from South America during the transatlantic trade era, cassava has since become a staple across West and Central Africa. In Mbella’s work, curators say, the material functions as both medium and memory, embedding layers of cultural history into each canvas.
Among the highlights are two large-format prints created in 2006 depicting the artist’s daughters, Joy and Grace Mbella. These works, rarely exhibited publicly, add a personal dimension to the show and underscore the intergenerational continuity of artistic practice. Both daughters are now founders of TPC Art House in Paris.
The Lagos exhibition comes at a time when the city is gaining increasing prominence on the global art stage. Founder of Kokopelli Gallery, Dare Herald, described Lagos as a place capable of holding “multiple histories at once,” a quality that aligns with the layered narratives present in Mbella’s work.
For many visitors, the use of cassava, a familiar and culturally embedded material, offers a unique point of connection. Organisers believe this resonance makes Lagos a particularly meaningful location for the exhibition.
Light Knows the Way is expected to attract collectors, curators and art enthusiasts, further reinforcing Lagos’ position as a key hub in the international contemporary art landscape.
