From June 9th to 13th, 2025, G.A.S. Lagos hosted the inaugural edition of the Ìmòra Arts Intensive, a week-long programme designed to equip early-career visual artists with the tools, knowledge, and mentorship needed to strengthen their professional practice. Through a series of dynamic and insightful sessions, participants explored topics such as artistic research, project development, commercial representation, negotiation, and strategies for presenting their work. Each day brought together the 10 selected participants and a range of experienced facilitators, from curators and cultural workers to writers, artists, and creative entrepreneurs, for hands-on learning, critical reflection, and peer exchange.
DAY ONE: BUILDING BUSINESS ACUMEN
The first day of the Ìmòra Arts Intensive centred on building the foundational knowledge artists need to navigate the business side of their practice. Led by curator and legal expert Joseph Gergel, curator and arts professional Ugonna Ibe-Ejiogu, and finance and strategy consultant Folagbade Adeyemi, the sessions explored intellectual property rights, commercial representation, negotiation, and financial literacy. Joseph opened the day with a session on copyright and intellectual property tailored to artists. Using case studies like Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith and Cariou v. Prince, the group explored key concepts including ownership, authorship, fair use, and modification. The session also touched on how international treaties impact Nigerian artists working in global contexts.
In the afternoon, Ugonna walked participants through the dynamics of artist-gallery relationships, contracts, and negotiation. Her session offered practical advice for navigating professional partnerships and protecting one's work. The day wrapped up with a financial management workshop led by Folagbade, who introduced basic tools for budgeting, pricing artwork, and sustaining a creative practice over time.
DAY TWO: YOUR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE I
The second day focused on how artists communicate their work, through statements, portfolios, and documentation. Facilitators G.A.S. alumna, architecture photographer and clinical psychologist Amanda Iheme, interdisciplinary artist and then-resident Shatha Afify, and Gallerist Nana Asumah Sonoiki spoke on the need for clarity, consistency, and intentionality when presenting artistic practices to different audiences.
Amanda opened with a session on crafting compelling artist statements that are reflective, precise, and accessible. She emphasised how strong writing can open doors and build deeper connections with curators, funders, and the public. Shatha followed with a workshop on building professional portfolios, describing them as strategic visual narratives that convey rigour, readiness, and vision. Her session sparked questions around structure, tone, and how to tailor one’s portfolio to different contexts. The day closed with Nana’s session on documentation as a core part of practice. Drawing on examples like Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, she highlighted the importance of sustainable archiving habits, through sketches, notes, and signatures, as a way to stay organised, reflect on growth, and support long-term professional development.
DAY THREE: YOUR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE II
The third day centred on deepening participants’ understanding of artistic research, led by Amanda Iheme. She opened the session by emphasising on the importance of research and how it should be intentional and rooted in one’s practice. Participants were guided through structuring research goals and methodologies while considering the role of the researcher, documentation approaches, and ethical frameworks. In a hands-on session at the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive, each participant identified a topic of interest and formulated a research question before engaging with selected materials. Amanda encouraged them to conduct thorough literature reviews, drawing from theoretical texts, digital resources, and the practices of artists exploring similar themes.
The day concluded with a self-guided session, where participants presented their findings, articulating research questions, methodologies, and artistic ethos. The room was filled with thoughtful reflection, as they explored themes such as grief, connection, familial bonds, and lineage. The session prompted meaningful introspection and highlighted the value of research in shaping artistic direction.
DAY FOUR: NAVIGATING NETWORKING & OPPORTUNITIES
The fourth day of the Ìmòra Arts Intensive focused on building confidence, clarity, and intention in how artists communicate their practice and pursue opportunities. Sessions were led by writer and curator Roli O’tsemaye and interdisciplinary artist and storyteller Wana Udobang.
In her workshops on writing successful open call and funding applications and developing project proposals, Roli highlighted the importance of authenticity and distinction in professional writing. Using case studies and practical examples, she guided participants through crafting compelling narratives and aligning ideas with open call criteria. Later in the day, Wana led an energetic session on approaching third parties and presenting one’s practice. She urged participants to speak with clarity and conviction, challenging them to develop a full project proposal from a single phrase, a creative exercise that encouraged conceptual depth and collaboration. The day closed with a mock panel, where each group presented their proposal and received thoughtful feedback, strengthening both their communication skills and their confidence in sharing their work.
DAY FIVE: KNOWLEDGE CHECK
The final day of the Ìmòra Arts Intensive opened with a session led by cultural producer and arts consultant Asibi Danjuma, who guided the cohort through a comprehensive overview of the local and global arts ecosystem. She unpacked key historical and contemporary art movements, explored the role of institutions, and highlighted the evolving definitions and formats within fine art. The session offered participants a broader framework for situating their own practices within the global cultural landscape.
The day concluded with a reflective session led by Moni Aisida, Director of G.A.S. Foundation, who invited participants to look back on the week and share personal insights, moments of growth, and key takeaways.
The Ìmòra Arts Intensive is made possible through the generous support of Deutsche Bank.
ABOUT THE FACILITATORS
Adeyemi Folagbade
Adeyemi Folagbade is a strategist, innovator, and systems thinker whose work operates at the intersection of traditional finance and emerging technologies. With over 15 years of experience across capital market operations, product development, and digital transformation, his practice interrogates the inner workings of financial infrastructures, exploring how they might be reimagined for greater efficiency, equity, and resilience.
Grounded in both legacy systems and forward-facing platforms, his work considers finance not just as structure or service, but as an evolving ecosystem shaped by power, access, and the urgency of innovation. He is particularly drawn to moments of institutional friction—where outdated models meet transformative tools and works to design and deliver interventions that are both measurable and meaningful. Whether collaborating with tech startups, investment banks, or market infrastructure firms, he is committed to building systems that serve more, do better, and last longer. At the core of his approach is the belief that change in finance must be as strategic as it is human, rooted in clarity, driven by purpose, and always in conversation with the future.
Afify Shatha
Afify Shatha (b. 1987, Cairo), also known as Shatha Aldeghady, is an interdisciplinary artist, storyteller, poet, and thinker whose practice weaves together sound, performance, sculpture, and multimedia to explore the terrains of conflict, loss, and resistance. Her work delves into the ethical quandaries of adulthood and awareness, using sound as a storyteller and silence as a space for resilience. Afify is deeply preoccupied with the complexities of existence—choosing positions, taking stands, and the enduring struggle for freedom and dignity, themes she first explored in her early work Dare to Doubt (2015). She invites audiences to engage with the intricate dance between justice and power, resistance and complicity, as seen in her latest work, Contemplating a Decision (2024), from her series Decision - Forgotten + Remembered (2023–2024). Through her practice, she creates contemporary archives that reflect on her time, offering possibilities for reimagining the present and future.
Danjuma Asibi
Danjuma Asibi is the founder of PHILOS, a project seeking to lift the estimation of artistic expression as it originates from the African continent. To that effect, she engages artists across traditional and emerging media, in crafting unique cultural offerings for corporate clients and the public at large. Recent projects include Unframed (2024) a performance exhibition by Josiah C. Josiah curated for Rele Gallery, Fieldnotes from a Master (2024) an exhibition of paintings by Moses Oghagbon curated for O’DA Gallery,Cadenza (2023), A group exhibition exploring the intersection between classical music and fine art, curated for Gallery Affinity. I May be Lost (2022), An online exhibition of photographs by Ifebusola Shotunde. The Pressure of this Water (2022), A presentation of colour-field paintings, sculptures and photographs by Kadara Enyeasi. In Search of Home (2021), An exhibition of paintings by Fidelis Joseph. Today, A Dream of Yesterday (2020), An exhibition of paintings by Fidelis Joseph
Gergel Joseph
Gergel Joseph is the director of kó, an art gallery based in Lagos, Nigeria, specializing in modern and contemporary art in Africa and the diaspora. Over the last twelve years, he has worked as an art curator with an interest in contemporary art in the global sphere, working with art organizations including Arthouse Contemporary, African Artists’ Foundation, Art Twenty One, Arthouse Foundation, LagosPhoto Festival, Moon Man Studios, and ARTOJA. Gergel has organized exhibitions of contemporary art in Lagos, Cape Town, Johannesburg, London, Paris, Marrakech, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Delhi, New York, Chicago, Miami, and Charleston, SC. Gergel received a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in May 2024 with a concentration intellectual property and art law.
Ibe-Ejiogu Ugonna
Ibe-Ejiogu Ugonna is a curator, cultural strategist, and founder of Yenwa Gallery, a Lagos-based contemporary art space known for elevating emerging and experimental African artists. With over a decade of experience spanning art, fashion, and environmental advocacy, her work explores how culture can shift markets, shape narratives, and build new forms of value. A former Director of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria and contributor to Nigeria’s 2024 National Cultural Policy, she also leads Cinnamon Lagos, a sustainable fashion label shown at Lagos Fashion Week and Africa Fashion Week New York. Ugonna moves fluidly between creative and institutional spaces, connecting vision with strategy across disciplines.
Iheme Amanda
G.A.S. Alumna Iheme Amanda is an architecture photographer and a clinical psychologist living and working in Ibadan and Lagos, Nigeria. Her works are focused on documenting and preserving Nigeria’s architectural heritage and the celebration of its design, history and culture.
O’tsemaye Roli
O’tsemaye Roli is a writer, curator, and communications professional engaged with contemporary art and culture in Africa and its diaspora. Her work spans fiction, non-fiction, and art criticism, with writings featured in respected platforms such as TSA Art Magazine, Art Dependence, Visi Magazine, La Belle Revue, Sugarcane Magazine and World of Interiors. She currently serves as Program Director at Angels and Muse, a non-profit art organisation with spaces in Lagos and Benin City, where she curates dynamic programs to support artists and cultural practitioners. She also sits on the advisory board of TR Art Institute, Lagos.
Sonoiki Asumah Nana
Sonoiki Asumah Nana is a Lagos-based curator, art manager, and founder of Art Pantheon. With nearly two decades of experience, she has played a vital role in shaping Nigeria’s contemporary art ecosystem, working with artists across generations and championing high standards in art handling, documentation, and exhibition-making. Formerly of Arthouse Contemporary and TreasureHouse Fine Arts, Nana established Art Pantheon to bridge structural gaps in the sector and provide a platform for rigorous, contextually grounded artistic practices.
Udobang Wana
Udobang Wana is a writer, poet, performer and curator. She has three spoken word albums taking her across Africa, Europe and North America with commissions from the Edinburgh International Festival, Deutsches Museum, and the Gates Foundation. Her journalism has been published in the Guardian, CNN, BBC, Observer and Aljazeera. She has been awarded fellowships and grants for her storytelling from the Gabriel Garcia Marquez Foundation, the International Women’s Media Foundation, One World Media Award, European Journalism Council, Ama Ata Aidoo Fellowship at Northwestern University and the Camargo Foundation Fellowship. She received a Ford Foundation grant for her multi-media exhibition Dirty Laundry.
Wana runs The Comfort Food Storytelling Workshop which uses food memories to inspire new stories, alongside other curatorial work exploring food, memory, identity and the body.
