On 9 October 2025, friends of Yinka Shonibare Foundation and G.A.S. Foundation gathered in London when Tate Modern presented a landmark public conversation alongside the Nigerian Modernism exhibition at Tate Modern curated by 2024 G.A.S. Alumnus, Osei Bonsu. The conversation between acclaimed artist Yinka Shonibare CBE and Booker Prize-winning writer Sir Ben Okri offered an exchange between two leading cultural figures whose practices have been shaped by and continue to shape global understandings of Nigerian Modernism

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.