Adenrele Sonariwo: Giving The Arts A Voice

Walking into Rele Gallery is a breath of fresh air from its bustling surrounding in the heart of Lagos Island. Since its launch, the unconventional space has offered a perfect environment for Instagram-ready pictures and first-rate art for public consumption. Considered to be one of the best contemporary art spaces in Nigeria, Rele has put up exhibitions for artists like Victor Ehikhamenor, Isaac Emokpae and Ibe Ananaba amongst others.

When founder Adenrele Sonariwo returned to Nigeria in 2010, her mind was set on revving up the Nigerian art scene. Her accounting background notwithstanding, Sonariwo made personal sacrifices to achieve that aim. A few years down the line, Rele has become a fixture in the Nigerian art scene, becoming a go-to place for top-of-the-range exhibitions in the process.  Sonariwo has gone on to curate and oversee several commercially and critically successful and high-profile art exhibitions by artists who challenged the boundaries of art and engaged in provocative subjects and techniques, within and outside Lagos.

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