Grace Olanma Etigwe-Uwa’s debut solo show turns light on its head, inviting you to question clarity, sit with uncertainty, and find radiance in faith, doubt and everyday life.
The exhibition
Titled Lost in a World of Light, this immersive show asks a simple but unsettling question: What if light doesn’t always reveal anything? Grace Olanma Etigwe-Uwa’s photographs, films, text pieces, and soundscapes wander through London, Edinburgh, and Makoko, chasing sunsets, street corners, still waters and human faces that hold more questions than answers.
“Photography is the art of capturing light,” Grace notes, “but what happens when light itself becomes a medium of obscurity?”
Her body of work challenges the idea that light always brings clarity. “Sometimes we are surrounded by brightness, yet we remain unsure of the ground beneath our feet,” she says.
The inspiration
“To those living in the land of the shadow of death, a great light has dawned.” Anchored by this biblical verse, Grace’s work is a meditation on faith, fragility and perception.
Edinburgh’s calm waters and vintage facades become mirrors for pause and perspective; London’s rush hides “the lesser-seen side of Green Park” and “the flurry of Covent Garden”, where everyone moves in different directions, “yet somehow guided by the shared light above.”
In Makoko, she finds “joy, pure unshaken joy. A divine radiance born not from circumstance but from faith. Their trust in God shone through their eyes.”
What you’ll see (and feel)
Expect a sensory blend:
Photography with grain, vignette and intentional “imperfections” that echo ambiguity.
Short films and poetic voice-overs that weave scripture, personal essays, and ambient sound.
Mixed-media moments: flowers blooming in chaos, “superstitions flying in the sky”, and a sunset “that reminded me of how God lights the earth like a bulb in a dark room, gently revealing what has been overlooked.”
Artist on the moment
Through photography, film, poetry, and spiritual reflection, Grace weaves stories “that sit at the intersection of the divine and the everyday”.
She doesn’t romanticise struggle; she dignifies it with light. Through every medium, whether still or moving image, word or waveform, her work reflects a deep commitment to storytelling that resonates across both personal and universal dimensions.
Visitors will recognise themselves, whether in Makoko’s resilience or London’s quiet corners. The show is intimate, but it’s universal.
“This exhibition marks not just a creative milestone for me but a personal one, as my first solo show coincides with the 25th birthday of my twin sister and I,” Grace says. “I invite you to see light differently. Not as instant clarity, but as an invitation to pause, to wonder, to seek direction not in brightness alone but in the One who gives it meaning.”
If you go
Venue: Old Federal Palace Building, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos
Dates/Times: The opening reception starts at exactly 4 PM on 27 July. Afterwards, from Wednesdays to Sundays from 5 PM to 11 PM until 13 August, 2025.
Admission: Free entry. You can check on-site for any guided tour fees.
Dress/Decorum: Casual-smart. Be respectful. Some pieces may be spiritually charged, so ask before filming or photographing.
What to bring: Curiosity, an open heart, and maybe headphones (if you like to go deeper with audio).
Why you should care
Grace Olanma Etigwe-Uwa is a multidisciplinary storyteller (photographer, filmmaker, illustrator, poet) whose practice bridges the personal and the spiritual. A MetFilm School, London graduate, she has exhibited at the Southbank Centre (with Apple’s support) and crafted visuals for JP Morgan Chase and the Bank of Industry. Her work spans intimate portraiture to socially conscious film.
Expect to leave with more questions than answers—and that’s the point.
Because, as Grace reminds us, “We are not lost because there is no outward light. Sometimes, we need to pause and allow the light which radiates from within make meaning of seeming chaos, nagging questions and complexities.”
Visit, linger, listen. Let the light speak softly and differently.
