The Lagos Arts & Health Festival (LAHF) has appointed Dr Foladavid, an award-winning medical doctor and multidisciplinary artist, as Festival Director of the 2026 edition.

The appointment brings together two defining aspects of Foladavid’s practice — medicine and art — in a leadership role that reflects the festival’s focus on exploring how creativity can influence health, wellbeing, community and social change.

The 2026 Lagos Arts & Health Festival will be held in Lagos from August 27 to 30, bringing together artists, healthcare professionals, researchers, cultural practitioners, policymakers, creatives and communities to explore the relationship between art, health and everyday life.

The festival forms part of the broader Global South Arts & Health movement, with Dr Kunle Adewale serving as Chair and Global Lead. The movement promotes interdisciplinary practice, research, community engagement, cultural exchange and creative approaches to health and wellbeing across the Global South.

Foladavid’s appointment marks a natural convergence of his professional and creative journey. A medical doctor and multidisciplinary visual artist, he has developed a distinctive practice at the intersection of medicine, art, human identity and social storytelling.

His work frequently explores health and the human body, particularly through the experiences of people living with skin conditions and other often-overlooked realities.

His artistic practice has earned international recognition, including a Guinness World Records achievement for creating Unity in Diversity, described as the largest drawing by an individual and a celebration of Nigeria’s cultural diversity.

Beyond his individual artistic practice, Foladavid has used creativity as a platform for dialogue, education, community engagement and social impact.
As Festival Director, he will provide creative and strategic leadership for LAHF 2026, working with festival leaders and partners, including Studio Yadi, Ayo Ekunz Visuals and Uwana Energy, to deepen the connection between creative expression and public wellbeing while positioning Lagos as a hub for arts-and-health innovation.

Commenting on his appointment, Foladavid said art and medicine had always been closely connected in his work because both disciplines centre on people and the human experience.

“I am incredibly excited to take on this role because, for me, art and medicine have never really been separate worlds. Both are about people. Both require us to look closely, to listen and to understand what it means to be human,” he said.
He described Lagos as one of the world’s most expressive cities, pointing to its music, visual art, fashion, theatre, food and other forms of cultural expression.

“The opportunity is to ask: what happens when we intentionally channel that creativity towards health, healing and wellbeing?” he said.

Foladavid said he hoped LAHF 2026 would go beyond being an event people attend and instead become an experience that changes how people think about health, creativity and the city they call home.