Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Nengi Nelson, an independent photographer and visual storyteller, to G.A.S. Lagos for her residency. Based in Lagos, Nengi’s practice spans photography and moving image and is deeply rooted in themes of identity, choice, vulnerability, and social acceptance. She approaches her work as a means of introspection, using visual storytelling to question notions of “being” beyond societal norms particularly within African contexts.

In March 2025, Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation, in partnership with the Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.), announced the call for the pilot edition of the Ìmòra Arts Intensive, an initiative designed to support the professional development of emerging local artists. Taking its name from the Yoruba words Ìmòra (support, guidance, mentorship) and ìmò ẹkọ (acquisition of knowledge or skill-building), the programme offers early-career visual fine artists based in Lagos a unique opportunity to gain practical knowledge, expand their networks, and refine their approach to professional practice.

The open call for its pilot edition received over 100 applications. A dedicated selection panel comprising five art professionals carefully reviewed each submission and were impressed by the breadth of talent and the quality of artistic practices presented. The selected 2025 cohort are Amadi Chukwuemeka,  Anaghoba Oluchi, Apah Benson, Bello Oladele, Emore Yoma, Jolaolu Moyosore, Nwafor Chidimma, Okwudini Noah, Lawal Ololade, and Lawal Oyewole.

The Ìmòra Arts Intensive falls under the wider scope of Project Nexus, an ambitious residency and education programme designed to nurture and empower artists, art educators, art historians, and curators through a series of residencies, professional development workshops, and educational initiatives over three years. The project embodies the spirit of collaboration and cultural exchange that lies at the heart of both Foundations’ missions, aiming to encourage and cultivate artistic excellence and curatorial innovation. 

The Ìmòra Arts Intensive is made possible through the generous support of Deutsche Bank. 

In March 2025, Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation, in partnership with the Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.), announced the pilot edition of the Ìmòra Arts Intensive, an initiative designed to support the professional development of emerging local artists. Taking its name from the Yoruba words Ìmòra (support, guidance, mentorship) and ìmò ẹkọ (acquisition of knowledge or skill-building), the programme offers early-career visual fine artists based in Lagos a unique opportunity to gain practical knowledge, expand their networks, and refine their approach to professional practice.

On the morning of Thursday, 24 April 2025, Gasworks hosted a guided tour for patrons of Y.S.F. to mark the opening of throwers, the first UK solo exhibition by Nolan Oswald Dennis, a Johannesburg-based artist and G.A.S. Foundation Alumnus. The event began with opening remarks by Gasworks Director Robert Leckie, followed by an introduction to Dennis’ practice led by Gasworks Curator Rosa Tyhurst in conversation with the artist. 

On April 26th, 2025, G.A.S. Lagos hosted an information session for the 2026 edition of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and University of the Western Cape (UWC) Museum Fellowship Programme. The session offered a valuable opportunity for aspiring museum and arts professionals to learn more about the programme’s scope, application process, and the kind of academic and professional development it supports. Designed for early-career practitioners based on the African continent, the year-long fellowship combines practical experience at Zeitz MOCAA with academic study at UWC, with a strong emphasis on curatorial practice, heritage studies, conservation, and museology.

London-based ethnobotanist Jonn Gale, whose work explores botanical collections and their cultural significance, recently concluded a 12-week residency at G.A.S. Foundation. Structured as part of her PhD placement, her residency was primarily based at the G.A.S. Farm House in Ikise. During her time there, Jonn focused on reimagining botanical archiving, designing and facilitating community-centered workshops, and contributing to ongoing knowledge-sharing initiatives. Central to her research was an engagement with local plant growers, healers, and other knowledge-keepers. Through these interactions, she documented traditional agricultural practices, herbal knowledge, and biocultural conservation efforts, forming the basis for what she calls a living botanical archive.

Shatha Afify, an interdisciplinary artist and storyteller, joins us at G.A.S. Lagos for a six-week residency as the 2025 recipient of the G.A.S. Fellowship Award supported by Deutsche Bank. Her multifaceted practice spans installation, moving image, performance, sound, research, curatorial work, and literature. Shatha’s work interrogates themes of memory, silence, and resistance, drawing on both personal and collective histories, with a particular emphasis on Egyptian and African cultural narratives.

Join us at G.A.S. Lagos on May 3rd, 2025, for Retelling and Creating New Memories, an exciting collage workshop for children, presented in collaboration with The Children’s Art Gallery (TCAG). This fun and creative workshop will be led by current resident Rachel Anyo, whose multidisciplinary artistic practice explores personal histories and cultural narratives. In this hands-on workshop, children will explore the rich worlds of both old and modern archives, discovering how personal stories and photographs can be transformed into powerful creative materials. Through collage techniques, they will mix and match images to tell their own stories and contribute to a larger, collective artwork. The goal is to help children create new memories by connecting past and present in imaginative and expressive ways.

On April 30th, 2025, G.A.S. Lagos hosted Unearthing the Archive, an evening of discussion exploring the role of archives in contemporary artistic practice. Facilitated by Aisha Seriki and Joy Labinjo, the event brought together G.A.S. alumna Mobolaji Ogunrosoye and photographer and writer Amaize Ojeikere, son of the legendary J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere. Together, the panellists reflected on how archival materials shape their work as tools for uncovering hidden narratives, bridging personal and collective histories, and reimagining the past through a contemporary lens.

The G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive is delighted to announce the receipt of 43 print materials of Black Orpheus journal, a rare collection of publications from local partner OlongoAfrica. This two year loan will facilitate the work of OlongoAfrica’s Black Orpheus Fellowship, and greatly enhance G.A.S. Foundation’s existing archive collection.

G.A.S. Foundation is proud to announce a new residency partnership with Fondation H, launched in celebration of our founder Yinka Shonibare CBE RA’s major solo exhibition, Safiotra [Hybridités/Hybridities]. Opening on 11th April 2025 at Fondation H in Antananarivo, Madagascar, and running until 28th February 2026, this landmark presentation marks Shonibare’s first major exhibition on the African continent. Taking its title from the Malagasy word safiotra, evoking hybridity, cultural synthesis, and the negotiation of identity, the exhibition spans fifteen years of Yinka Shonibare’s practice. Works on view include signature pieces such as The African Library (2018), part of Fondation H’s permanent collection, alongside recent and site-responsive sculptures, including Refugee Astronaut X (2024).

On the 27th of March 2025, as part of her ongoing residency at G.A.S., London-based ethnobotanist Jonn Gale facilitated a community-based workshop for students from St. John’s Primary School, Ikiṣẹ. The session introduced the young learners to foundational concepts in botany and herbarium collection, offering a hands-on opportunity to explore the natural world and their environment. The workshop formed part of Jonn’s 12-week residency, during which she has been based primarily at the G.A.S. Farm House in Ikiṣẹ. Her research explores traditional plant knowledge, medicinal practices, and ecological systems, bridging ethnobotanical inquiry with local expertise and broader environmental questions.