Following the success recorded in its maiden edition, last year, the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA), Pan-Atlantic University, will hold the second edition of its landmark exhibition, Collecting Now II, from October 11, 2025, to February 9, 2026 at the Olori Funmilayo Shyllon Exhibition Gallery of the YSMA at the Pan-Atlantic University. Through this initiative, the museum affirms its position as an institution dedicated to advancing cultural scholarship, deepening public access to art, and celebrating the vision of Nigerian collectors as curators and preservers of history and heritage.
The exhibition presents 90 significant works on loan from six Nigerian collectors – Olufemi Akinsanya, Ifeyinwa Momah, Tayo Odunsi, Nonso Okpala, Bimpe Nkontchou and Yemi Ogunbiyi – offering audiences privileged access to a diverse range of traditional, modern and contemporary art rarely seen outside private collections.
Featuring works across painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, the show illuminates the interplay between individual taste and collective heritage. This year’s showcase is particularly notable for spotlighting two women collectors whose perspectives illustrate the multifaceted power of collecting—as a way of living and as an act of advocacy.
“The Collecting Now series reinforces YSMA’s role as an institution that brings private visions into public spaces,” said Director of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Dr. Jess Castellote. “We are not only presenting exceptional works of art but also shaping a critical conversation about collecting as a cultural practice that ensures continuity, strengthens our art ecosystem, and connects Nigeria’s artistic legacy with future generations.”
Reflecting on her participation in the exhibition, one of the featured collectors, Momah, said: “For me, art is everyday living—it fills my spaces, shapes my memories, and inspires how I see the world.”
This exhibition is deeply meaningful because it allows these personal experiences to be encountered publicly, sparking conversations that affirm the value of art in our daily lives.
I am proud to stand alongside fellow collectors in sharing our journeys through this platform at YSMA.”
The exhibition enjoys the continued support of Ark Insurance Brokers, who, for the second time, are sponsoring the insurance of the entirety of works on display. Their renewed partnership underscores their position as a leading brokerage provider for the arts in Nigeria, with a longstanding commitment to supporting culture and creativity alongside their broader insurance expertise.
