Obaseki challenges Benin bronze-casting traditions with ‘Imperfect Beings’ exhibition

Nigerian sculptor Osaru Obaseki is challenging traditional perceptions of beauty, physical perfection and gender restrictions in Benin’s bronze-casting heritage through her solo exhibition, Imperfect Beings, currently showing in Lagos.
The exhibition, presented by Adegbola Gallery, features new bronze sculptures and brass plaques exploring how personal experiences, cultural inheritance and spirituality shape identity.

On view from November 7 to 30, 2026, the exhibition uses deliberately irregular figures, textured surfaces and layered patinas to question conventional ideals of beauty while highlighting the time, labour and processes involved in traditional bronze casting.
Historically, bronze casting in the Benin Kingdom was restricted to men, with the knowledge passed down through a hereditary guild. However, Obaseki leads the conceptual and sculptural development of her works in collaboration with traditional casters on Igun Street, Benin City.

Her practice follows the pioneering efforts of earlier women sculptors, including Princess Elizabeth Olowu, who challenged the restrictions surrounding women’s participation in the traditionally male-dominated art form.
Through her works, Obaseki seeks to preserve Benin’s artistic knowledge and histories for future generations, while examining how inherited traditions can inform contemporary artistic expression.

The exhibition features bronze sculptures, including The Testimony, Tale of a Life, Take Your Flowers and Echoes, alongside smaller heads, vessel-like forms and works from her Fluid Bodies series of brass plaques.
Obaseki’s research into collections from the Benin Kingdom, including objects held at the British Museum, also informs her practice. Her work examines how the histories of these objects are interpreted and how their cultural inheritance shapes contemporary African identity.

In 2024, her bronze work, Ame / Oyevbamen (Like Water), was unveiled in the Horniman Museum and Gardens’ The Great Kingdom of Benin display, alongside historic objects from Benin.
The exhibition is part of Adegbola Gallery’s ongoing commitment to supporting women sculptors.

As part of the exhibition programme, an artist talk with Obaseki will hold at Adegbola Gallery on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
The conversation, to be moderated by Roli O’tsemaye and Wana Udobang, will examine Obaseki’s journey as a sculptor, her relationship with Benin’s sculptural traditions and her experience working in the medium as a woman.