‍LAGOS is set to welcome an Australian pop voice into its creative space as Melbourne-based singer Nishka prepares for her first Nigerian performance at Escape, an art exhibition scheduled for November 28.

The event will bring music and contemporary visual art together, offering the singer an opportunity to introduce her sound to a new audience while adding an international dimension to the exhibition.

Organised by visual artist Fortune Ileleji and Grammy-winning musician Tejiri Sonics, Escape will feature the works of both creatives, with Nishka appearing as a special musical guest.

The collaboration reflects the growing intersections between music and visual art, as creative events increasingly provide platforms for different disciplines to share audiences and ideas.

For Nishka, the Lagos appearance marks another step in a musical journey shaped by a mix of cultural and sonic influences. Raised in Melbourne in a family of Macedonian heritage, she grew up listening to soul, funk, hip-hop and house music, alongside traditional sounds connected to her family background.

Her interest in music began at the age of 10, when she started singing while also learning martial arts. She pursued both interests for several years, including competing in martial arts tournaments, before deciding at 15 to concentrate on music.

The Melbourne-based artiste sound draws on soulful vocals, contemporary pop production and rhythm-led arrangements. Her songwriting explores love, desire, vulnerability and self-discovery, moving between intimate storytelling and more energetic expressions. Her debut single, On My Mind, provides an introduction to that approach.

Nishka’s choice of Escape as the setting for her Nigerian debut also gives the performance a cultural context. Visual art and music offer different ways of interpreting personal experiences, emotions and memories. Bringing them together creates an opportunity for audiences to encounter both forms within one event.

For the organisers, her participation connects the Lagos exhibition to an international creative network. It also underscores the increasingly interconnected nature of the creative industries, where artists, audiences and cultural influences now move across borders with greater ease. And for the singer, it presents an opportunity to test her music in a new cultural environment and engage listeners whose musical experiences may differ from those of her existing audience.

The event also reflects Lagos’ position as a meeting point for local and international creative projects.

However, the value of such exchanges depends on whether they extend beyond one-night appearances to encourage lasting relationships among artists, audiences and creative institutions.