Two things happened to the Lagos cultural landscape on October 1: Rededication and commissioning of former National Theatre, now Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts and the opening of a show with political content by Onyema Offoedu-Okeke, an internationally acclaimed Nigerian artist, who came with Time of Redeemer, a political allegory of quest for good leadership. Both events struck a chord on what Nigerians demand.
While the first was largely celebrated, the latter was a private initiative, which drew just a few connoisseurs of art and patrons. There also appeared a third event, which sneaked into artists’ consciousness from far away Barcelona: The Mondiacult — a decision-making meeting that helps to shape the world’s cultural policies and the relationship between culture and development.
A writer and trained architect, Offoedu-Okeke’s latest exhibition, which lends voice to the voiceless, while spotlighting the socio-economic and political trajectory since independence in 1960, is a political allegory ala John Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress.
Offoedu-Okeke, whose impact on Nigeria’s art landscape, began to be felt since his arrival in 1994-1995, believes nothing has really changed. He has continued to play up the politics of Nigeria, which is nothing more than ‘a beatification of the area boy feeling’: the alright sir metaphor.
With two notable solo shows, standing out: Homeland Memories at Temple Muse VI, Lagos, in 2014, and Substratum: Anatomy of Support System at the Sachs Art Gallery, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, 10 years after, in 2024, he looks at an artist whose subjects and interpretations are both steeped in local tradition while tapping into global themes. His works are infused with rich symbols which reflect African roots and are grounded in Ibo cosmology and identity. While in his Substratum: Anatomy of Support System, every single part of the life of a human being, there’s always something that plays as the load and the support.
His unique drawing and painting methods, informed by architectural logic, geometric sensibilities, and a broad range of intellectual interests, set him apart.
Onyema Offoedu-Okeke’s new show is an opportunity to experience his distinctive and masterful artistry: His colourful exploration of Nigeria’s past, the not-too-good present and the very uncertain future. They are worth appreciating as the works speak for themselves. The artist speaks through each of his 27 works on display at the month-long exhibition, which opened at Truview Arts and Frames Gallery, LH Prive, Ikoyi, Lagos, on October 1, 2025.
Some of the works are, Time of Redeemer, Fire of Change, Wind of Change, Passenger of Fate, Showdowns and Stalemates, Sleepless series, Mass Agitation, Technocracy, Trial of Oligarchy, among others, which are rendered in acrylic on canvas, amid their visually striking sociopolitical commentaries.
Offoedu-Okeke takes his creative ingenuity a notch higher, while still passing salient messages and speaking for the voiceless. He takes the viewers on a journey through colour, history, and thought-provoking reflections.
In the gallery statement, Offoedu-Okeke’s works are described as ‘masterful and insightful’, amid exploration of the intersection of colour, texture and emotion.
“His style—a fusion of African traditional aesthetics with modern abstract and cubist techniques—is distinguished by bold colour palettes, layered in translucent patches that generate vibrancy and rhythm,” the statement said.
“Each work demonstrates his ability to balance abstraction and representation, producing art that is both visually striking and profoundly resonant, often reflecting on cultural, political, and everyday themes.
“We acknowledge the painstaking dedication and time invested in his creative process, evident in the uniqueness of each canvas.” Offering details of some of the works, the artist explained that the piece titled, Time of Redeemer (acrylic on canvas – 48″ X 48″ 2025), depicts a grand entrance of a man on horseback, which is a symbol of hope, power, and sadly the paradox in Nigeria’s search for a true leader.
In Fire of Change (acrylic on canvas – 48″ X 48″ 2025), he noted that horses rip through thoroughfare like flames of revolution kindled among disgruntled or awakened masses.
In the work, titled, Persistence of Oligarchy (acrylic on canvas – 48″ X 48″ 2025), the artist uses Rolls Royce automobile brand figurative to convey visual power condensed from instances of social political privileges, citation of fiscal might, and the ultimate icon of class distinction.
He noted that despite revolution staged by masses, the elites and oligarchs still plow their controlling instruments through the dense heaps of political placards, rhetoric and subversive postures, even more today.
Curated by Juwon Olusanya, Time of Redeemer is sponsored by The Romulus Group, LH Prive, and Truview Arts & Frames Gallery. It runs for a month from October 1 to 31, 2025, at LH Prive, 39F Rumen Road, off Bourdillon, Ikoyi, Lagos.
