Art X Lagos announces prize for emerging artists

Established to recognise and support the best of emerging Nigerian visual art talents, Art X Lagos has announced its 2018 edition.

The star attraction this year will be its ‘Art X Prize with Access,’ which is in conjunction with title sponsor, Access Bank Plc.

Art X Lagos is West Africa’s foremost international art fair.

The winner of Art X Prize with Access will receive N1 million grant towards an ambitious project or installation by the artist, which will be exhibited in a solo presentation at Art X Lagos 2018.  

The winning artist will additionally receive significant visibility and invaluable opportunities for networking and mentoring.   
 
Founder and Director of Art X Lagos, Tokini Peterside, said, “We are delighted to have the support of Access Bank for this initiative, which will enable us to support ambitious emerging artists in Nigeria, who are at pivotal stages in their careers.

The Art X Prize with Access will give Nigeria’s most promising, emerging artists the opportunity to further their careers and to challenge the expectations of the global audience at Art X Lagos, which is comprised of collectors and visitors from significant institutions around the world.”  
 
A jury of five renowned artists and industry stakeholders will adjudicate Art X Prize with Access.

They include Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya, a renowned experimental artist, with a career spanning five decades, Yinka Shonibare (MBE), renowned worldwide for his ground-breaking sculptures, photography and prints, including amongst others, his public art commission ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle,’ which was displayed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London, in 2010.

Another judge is Wura-Natasha Ogunji, a highly regarded visual artist and performer, whose works include drawings, videos and public performances. She is a recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and is a co-curator of this year’s Sao Paulo Biennale.
 
Sokari Douglas-Camp has represented Britain and Nigeria in national and international exhibitions and her solo shows have held at The Smithsonian Institute and The Museum of Mankind, London, among other institutions. She is an honorary Fellow of the University of the Arts, London. 

Oliver Enwonwu is an artist, art critic, historian, publisher and curator. He is also the director and founder of Omenka Gallery, and is president of Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA).

Interested artists have been advised to apply for the Art X Prize with Access 2018, especially those domiciled in Nigeria and have been artists for at least five years.

Applications can be submitted at www.artxlagos.com/prize and will be open until June 15, 2018. The winner will be announced at the end of June.