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The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has set the tone for the brand new year by officially unveiling a modern, state-of-the-art bus for the national teams, which aims to address logistical challenges in Zambian football.
The bus, funded under FIFA’s Forward Development Programme at $428,187.32 (about K11,991,332), is designed to provide the national teams with reliable and comfortable transportation for local and international engagements.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held at Football House attended by key stakeholders, including FIFA Representative David Fani , FAZ President Andrew Kamanga highlighted the importance of the new bus in elevating the operations of Zambia’s national teams.
“There could have been no better way to drive into 2025 than the way we are moving in the brand-new year. What we are witnessing today is a continuation of the progressive trajectory that we were on in 2024. The project that we are unveiling today speaks to real football development as its impact is instant,” Kamanga said.
“It is only befitting that having recorded positive results in 2024, our teams should also be elevated in the manner they are projected to the public. Over the years, transporting our national teams during local and international engagements has been a persistent challenge.”
Kamanga also acknowledged FIFA’s broader support for Zambian football, including the $10 million Technical Centre project launched in 2024. “This modern bus, acquired through the FIFA forward support program, marks a major milestone in resolving that issue. We extend our gratitude to the FIFA regional office and our dedicated faz secretariat, whose tireless efforts ensured the successful delivery of this project.”
FIFA Representative David Fani lauded FAZ for its efficient use of FIFA’s resources, emphasizing the strategic importance of the bus acquisition.
“We are here this morning to bear witness to the unveiling of this bus and it is a proud moment for FAZ to have reached this important milestone. It is undeniable that the FAZ’s needs are many and varied. By purchasing the bus we are about to unveil, FAZ took an important step to address some of the challenges it faces,” Fani said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the FAZ president, FAZ Executive Committee and staff on the work they are doing to develop football in Zambia. It’s never easy and, with limited resources, it is even more difficult.”
Fani added that the FIFA Forward Development Programme is designed to empower member associations to make meaningful investments, and FAZ had done just that.
“The forward funding is not enough but, properly invested, as FAZ is doing, it can make a difference. FAZ also needs to be congratulated for the progress that the Zambia teams, national and clubs, have made on the continental and international scenes. Zambia is by far the dominant force in Cosafa and has of late qualified for numerous continental and international competitions,” Fani said.
If the title of this article caught your eye, that’s a good start—it might even help you reflect on where your eyes typically focus and where they don’t. Eye contact, once a cornerstone of human connection, is becoming increasingly rare in our screen-dominated lives. The beeps, alerts, and endless digital distractions have shifted our gaze away from the eyes of others and into the glow of our devices.
And it’s not just adults who are losing touch with this fundamental skill. A recent survey revealed that 62% of educators believe children are worse at making and maintaining eye contact than in years past. This decline reflects a cultural shift away from face-to-face engagement, one that has profound implications for how we communicate and connect.
It’s hard to overestimate the seismic changes screens have wrought in our day-to-day, from the minor to the massive. Our attention spans, tolerance for boredom, and curiosity about the real world around us have been hijacked by the digital revolution.
But devices are only one of the challenges surrounding this lost art.
Let’s say we manage to put our phones aside for a moment and truly engage with our listener. What’s the next barrier? It begins with the very term we use: “eye contact.” This phrase frames eye contact as a static object, something you either “have” or “don’t.” We often hear it described in these terms: “She has great eye contact” or “He has poor eye contact.” But this view oversimplifies the concept, reducing it to a mere possession rather than recognizing it as a dynamic and interactive process that requires intention and awareness.
Eye contact is not a possession; it’s an activity. It’s not something you simply “have” or “don’t have.” In fact, one can experience both good and bad eye contact at any given moment. Viewing it as a static attribute is reductive, and it ironically shifts the focus onto the speaker, rather than the interaction itself.
Read More: Making Eye Contact With a Baby Changes Both Your Brain Waves, Study Says
Instead, I suggest we consider eye contact as an art form. Great artists—no matter their medium—are tasked with honing their sensitivity to the world around them in order to interpret and reveal it. They use all their senses to absorb information and deepen their connection with their environment. Similarly, your eyes give you an opportunity to connect more deeply and vividly with those around you, allowing you to notice the subtleties of human interaction that enrich your day-to-day experiences.
Is it really that simple? Yes! Eye contact is the result of earnestly and actively trying to decipher the communication of the other person and ensure that your communication is received.
But executing is far from simple sometimes. It’s a snap to have great eye contact when you’re completely at ease and engrossed in a thrilling topic with a fascinating partner.
But what about when the tables have turned and self-consciousness rears its ugly head?
When you’re feeling self-conscious, just the mindset shift of striving to focus on the other person may not be enough. In those situations, you need to be able to draw on muscle memory from effective practice. Which reveals the third culprit that prevents people from unlocking powerful eye contact: not knowing how to improve it.
In 15 years leading a communication training firm and coaching everyone from presidential candidates to high school freshmen, I have helped thousands of people cultivate better eye contact —even when feeling self-conscious—by doing physical exercises that rely on embodied cognition to unleash positive behaviors.
To start, try a fun exercise I developed called “Silent Storytelling.” As the name suggests, you’ll tell a story—but without sound. Think of it like lip-syncing: you’ll mouth the words expressively, but you cannot vocalize. Recruit a friend or two and use your eyes, face, hands, and body to convey your message. The goal is for your audience to fully understand the story, even without hearing a word. Keep in mind, this isn’t charades; you’re not acting out individual words. Instead, focus on expressing your narrative as vividly as needed to make it clear.
Pay close attention to your audience’s reactions—raised eyebrows, widening eyes, or nodding—these subtle cues will indicate whether they’re following along. What you’ll discover is that “good eye contact” comes naturally when you need to gauge their understanding without the help of sound. This exercise trains you to observe reactions and engage with others in a deeper, more intentional way, even when the experience feels unfamiliar.
The second exercise involves a ball. To start, gather a couple of audience members and practice speaking to each person one at a time. Begin by sharing one idea with the first person, and at the end of that idea, toss them the ball. They should hold it briefly before tossing it back to you. Once you’ve received the ball, look to the next person and share your next idea, passing the ball to them once you’re done.
As you alternate between speaking to each person, you’ll quickly realize why you must maintain eye contact: you need to ensure they’re ready to catch the ball. If you’re not looking at them, you risk them missing the catch. This simple exercise trains you to make purposeful eye contact to gauge your audience’s readiness, reinforcing the importance of connection in communication.
These exercises are incredibly effective because they make eye contact feel natural and even enjoyable, rather than a chore. Rather than fixating on whether you have “good” or “bad” eye contact, these techniques help you tap into the skills you already possess but may not yet be fully aware of. Through practice, you can build muscle memory for confident, meaningful eye contact that doesn’t require perfection, just presence. So, let go of the self-criticism and embrace the fun of improving your communication—one glance at a time.
Amanda Bynes gets an Easy A for this rare public appearance to showcase one of her passions.
On Dec. 21, the former actress cohosted and displayed her creations at an art show and clothing pop-up with apparel designer Austin Babbitt in West Hollywood, Calif. Amanda met with a slew of fans at the public event, which marked her first in more than a decade.
The former Nickelodeon star wore her blonde hair slicked back and sported a black cropped cardigan with butterfly clasps, black pants and matching boots at the event, which was also attended by Noah Cyrus.
Amanda shared several photos from the art show on social media, where she has offered glimpses from her private life more often in recent years despite remaining out of the spotlight. At the event, she displayed art pieces with titles such as “Stars,” “Grey,” “Night,” and “Lavender Dreams.”
The 38-year-old signed autographs and chatted and took pics with fans, many of whom posted them on their own social media.
Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun turned heads by consuming the banana from Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial artwork Comedian, which he purchased for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s.
The event took place at Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel, where Sun declared the artwork “iconic” and emphasized its relevance to the digital age. He highlighted parallels between conceptual art and cryptocurrency, noting how both focus on intellectual property and intangible value rather than physical existence.
“It’s much better than other bananas,” remarked Sun, originally from China, after taking his first bite. “It’s really quite good.”
Sun shared that he initially felt a sense of “disbelief” in the first 10 seconds after winning the bid, but quickly realized, “this could turn into something significant.” Moments later, he decided he would eat the banana. “Eating it at a press conference can also become part of the artwork’s legacy,” he remarked.
Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian, an edible artwork that debuted at the 2019 Art Basel show, stirred debates about the nature of art.
On Friday, Justin Sun, the current owner of the artwork, drew comparisons between conceptual art and the digital age, likening Comedian to NFTs and blockchain technology. He explained, “Most of its objects and ideas exist as (intellectual property) and on the internet, as opposed to something physical.”
In addition to showcasing the artwork, Sun revealed a $30 million investment in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency initiative supported by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Meanwhile, he continues to face legal scrutiny from the SEC over alleged unregistered securities linked to his Tron project.
The spectacle included two actors posing as auction staff standing beside a plain wall with the banana duct-taped to it. The banana, initially purchased for less than a dollar by a Manhattan fruit vendor, Shah Alam, became a focal point of discussion on the absurdity and brilliance of conceptual art.
Upon hearing from a New York Times reporter that the banana he sold was resold as artwork for millions, 74-year-old Alam broke into tears. “I am a poor man,” he said. “I have never had or even seen this kind of money.”
In a gesture celebrating the fusion of everyday life and art, Sun pledged to purchase 100,000 bananas from Alam’s stall and distribute them globally. He described the initiative as a “celebration of the beautiful connection between art and daily life.”
Each attendee at Friday’s event was given a roll of duct tape and a banana as a keepsake. “Everyone gets a banana to enjoy,” Sun remarked.
Also Read: Justin Sun Joins Trump-Backed DeFi Project as Advisor
If you are the kind of person who overreacts and rushes in, I get it. You might think you can bypass the pain of what you are experiencing by getting super-proactive and taking control.
I used to overreact, but the problem was it never seemed to help. Instead, it always made things worse because it brought about more drama, stress, confusion, and chaos. Overreacting felt like experiencing the same thing twice: once when it happened, and again when I brought all my outrage to the situation. My heart felt double the weight of any circumstance.
When we overreact our desire to quickly find a solution leads us to rush and make assumptions about what’s going on. When it comes to important social issues like a shift in political power, climate change, gun control, or other things that are mostly out of your control, you can be less bothered there, too.
To be clear, I’m not saying there isn’t plenty to be outraged about in the world. I am also not for a moment suggesting you turn your back on important issues. I’m saying that overreacting is not where our power lies. Rather it exists potentially in underreacting.
Read More: Why Being Sensitive Is a Strength
How you care about issues that move you is what counts. Sometimes your lack of peace is a false economy. Recognize that your stress and anger isn’t changing anything around you; it’s only changing things within you. As you get angrier, more worried, more agitated, you become bothered. If you are always bothered, you are always angry, which will lead to you being stressed out and eventually getting sick, exhausted, and overwhelmed. And at that point of total burnout, you can’t make even a little difference anymore.
The reality is that you don’t have to be completely outraged and reactive to make a difference. In some cases, it can take that spark of outrage for you to realize how much you care and move into action. But once you do, put your hands on your heart or take deep breaths, get off social media or go for a walk (or all of the above), and remember the impact you can make without giving up all of your peace. The art of underreacting is to move from outrage to making a real difference while still taking care of ourselves.
Simply becoming aware of how vital our peace is to feeling good makes it easier to prioritize it.. When we aren’t aware, it’s harder to be gentle: We spend all our energy trying to change others or being unwilling to accept something that is happening (even though it’s happening whether we overreact or not). Underreacting isn’t a sign of support for something you don’t support. It’s not faking your feelings. It’s how you move through something more gently. It’s how you decide how you want to respond. It’s how you protect and nourish yourself.
Let’s look at some practical ways making this shift from losing it to calmly taking action can be beneficial in your life:
Daily meditation and mindfulness
One of the best results is that I’ve learned how to gently let go of my thoughts because I do it repeatedly while meditating. When a thought comes in, I decide if I’m going to take hold of it and beat it into sub-mission or just let it go. I’ve been able to take that into my day-to-day thoughts, too. There are other mindfulness practices that don’t involve meditation but can be just as helpful, like mindful breathing, or going for a walk during which you take in every sensory detail you can. You don’t have to meditate to be mindful and practice underreacting.
Ask yourself, “Do I care about this?”
Ask yourself the question and if you don’t care, don’t bother with it. You can get your mind involved in just about anything, but if you notice the thought and decide you simply don’t care, it’s easier to let it slip away. If you aren’t sure, ask, “Why should I care about this?” or “Do I actually have the space and time to care about this?”
Distract yourself
If you can’t let it go and you keep ruminating, get on to something else. Listen to a podcast about a very unrelated topic, do a crossword puzzle, bake something, or learn how to tap-dance. Do anything that moves you from overthinking to underreacting.
Notice what else is going on when you typically overreact
Do you overreact out of habit or because you are one of the following: hungry, hurt, tired, drunk, overwhelmed, sick or worried.
Those things are going to lower your ability to underreact. Take care of yourself so you experience those things less or not at all. I have a rule (when I have the choice) not to engage in difficult conversations or situations where I may overreact because I am hungry, tired, or stressed. As the saying goes, please forgive me for the things I said when I was hungry. Knowing how these factors affect me, I have more grace and compassion for people who say silly things because I know they might just need a sandwich. That said, I won’t be mistreated because they can’t self-regulate. Neither should you.
Write about it
This is why I journal. I’m not trying to capture memories, but instead I want to move the thoughts spinning around inside of me onto a sheet of paper where they can sit quietly. Seeing my fears and insecurities and private rages on paper defuses them and makes them easier to let go of. I can more clearly see what needs my attention and what is not worth fighting today or any day.
Walk first
When you can’t decide how you want to react, or when you think someone needs a piece of your mind, promise yourself to take a walk first. If taking a walk isn’t accessible to you, think about other ways of moving your body, not to work out in a fitness way but to move around and work out the things you are unsure about.
Something will come along that unnerves you—something that has you lose your ever-loving peace. You won’t be able to collect yourself until you notice that it’s time to protect your peace. The good news is that once you notice, you are usually only one or one hundred deep breaths away from reclaiming your peace. Remember, being gentle isn’t pretending that things are perfect or ignoring pain in ourselves or in the world. It’s simply moving through with more attention, compassion, and hope.
If it’s not time to take a bigger step, consider one tiny step. Practice pausing. A five-minute pause can be the difference between you overreacting and underreacting. Take a time-out by simply waiting to respond or by saying, “I need time to think about this, let’s pause the conversation/debate/meeting.” This is especially helpful if something comes up and you feel flooded with emotions. It’s ok to take a little time.
It’s also ok not to be ok. Sometimes the pause that you need may be screaming into your pillow or crying to friends. Underreacting isn’t about maintaining perfect composure for those around you. It’s about taking care of yourself and limiting harm in times of turmoil.
Adapted from GENTLE by Courtney Carver. Copyright © 2025 by Courtney Carver. Used by permission of Balance, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc., New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
ART X Lagos, West Africa’s leading international art fair, proudly presented the Access ART X Prize Alumni Impact Award at its VIP Preview. This special award within the Access ART X Prize program celebrates the remarkable achievements of past winners who continue to innovate and shape the African art landscape. Since its inception in 2016, the Access ART X Prize has become one of Africa’s most prestigious platforms for emerging artists, championing creative excellence and cultivating a lasting impact on the global stage.
As a proud sponsor of the Access ART X Prize, Access Holdings has been instrumental in supporting sustainability in the African arts sphere, helping drive long-term positive change in the ecosystem. The Group’s partnership with ART X Lagos aligns with its vision of creating a vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape, highlighting the essential role of art in driving social progress and creativity across Africa.
In alignment with ART X Lagos’ 2024 theme, “Promised Lands,” the Alumni Impact Award reinforces the fair’s dedication to creating sustained artistic growth across the African continent. This year’s theme embodies a vision of hope, freedom, and new possibilities—an ideal backdrop for honouring the progress of past Prize winners whose influential contributions resonate both locally and globally. The Alumni Impact Award celebrates these artists’ journeys and the transformative power of their voices in shaping contemporary African art.
“The Access ART X Prize Alumni Impact Award embodies our pledge to supporting artists at every stage of their careers” said Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder of ART X Lagos. “By celebrating our past winners and recognizing their continued growth, we reaffirm ART X Lagos’ dedication to driving innovation, social engagement, and long-term impact within the African art community. Our hope is to inspire the next generation to pursue their creative journeys with the same passion and resilience.”
Since its launch, the Access ART X Prize has identified and elevated emerging talents in Nigeria and, more recently, expanded its reach to the African diaspora, widening its impact and scope. Each winner has not only made significant strides in their artistic practice but has also engaged with critical social issues and narratives shaping the continent today. This inaugural Alumni Impact Award honours one past winner whose artistic journey exemplifies the Prize’s mission of continuous growth and cultural resonance.
During the VIP Preview, Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, shared that, “At Access, we believe empowerment is the cornerstone of progress, and this belief extends well beyond the financial sector. By supporting ART X Lagos and initiatives like the Access ART X Prize, we seek to cultivate an enduring, dynamic art ecosystem across Africa, where creativity thrives, and cultural impact is amplified.”
“This year, through the special Alumni Impact Award, we celebrate not only the outstanding achievements of past Access ART X Prize winners but also their dedication to bringing African narratives to the forefront of global conversations,” Ogbonna added.
L-R: Stephen Kauma, Director and Global Head, Human Resources, Afreximbank; Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc; Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder, ART X; Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Executive Governor, Lagos State, and Bolaji Balogun, Chief Executive Officer, Chapel Hill Denham at the VIP Preview of ART X Lagos, held at Federal Palace Hotel… recently.
This year’s Alumni Impact Award was presented to Etinosa Yvonne, an artist whose work reflects boldness, creativity, and dedication to social discourse. Upon receiving the award at the ART X Lagos VIP Preview, the artist shared their gratitude, stating: “I am pleased to be the recipient of the Access ART X Prize Alumni Impact Award. The award shows that Access Holdings and ART X are genuinely interested and deeply committed to contributing and sustaining the growth and development of artists at any stage of their career. The Nigerian creative economy remains largely untapped. I strongly believe that this award will inspire and encourage public and private institutions in Nigeria to be more intentional about investing, participating and promoting not just Nigerian arts but Nigerian artists in order to bolster our creative economy.”
As ART X Lagos celebrates the journeys of its past winners, it acknowledges their collective impact and aims to inspire future generations of African artists to pursue excellence and social engagement. The remarkable achievements of these artists reinforce the strength of African creativity and its power to shape and define a globally relevant future.
About ART X Lagos
ART X Lagos was created to showcase and support the breadth of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Founded in 2016 by Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, the fair has since become a cornerstone of the African art sector. The first of its kind in West Africa, ART X Lagos goes beyond the traditional bounds of an art fair, and has become renowned for its ambitious programme that includes ART X Cinema, ART X Talks, ART X Live! and specially curated projects which have featured an array of emerging and established artists from over 70 countries across the continent and diaspora.
ART X Lagos 2024 will take place from October 31st – November 3rd at The Federal Palace, Victoria Island, Lagos. The private Collectors’ Preview will be held on Thursday, October 31st, followed by the VIP Preview on Friday, November 1st. The fair will be open to the public on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd, 2024, while virtual audiences can also engage with the fair on Artsy.net.
About Access Holdings Plc
Access Holdings Plc is a leading multinational financial services group that offers commercial banking, lending, payment, insurance, and asset management services. Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, Access Holdings operates through a network of more than 700 branches and service outlets, spanning three continents, 23 countries, and 60+ million customers.
Access transitioned into a holding company to drive rapid growth and become a full-scale ecosystem player offering interconnected services across customer needs. Established in 2022, Access Holdings Plc consists of the Access Bank Group; Access Pensions; a Payment and Switching Services Company; a Digital Lending Company, and an Insurance Brokerage Company. The banking vertical serves its various markets through four business segments: Retail, Business, Commercial and Corporate, and has enjoyed what is it arguably Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last eighteen years, becoming one of Africa’s largest retail banks by customer base and Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest bank by total assets.
Access Holdings strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible, and socially relevant, helping customers to access more and achieve their dreams.
ART X Lagos, West Africa’s leading international art fair, returns for its highly anticipated ninth edition from October 31st to November 3rd, 2024. Since its inception in 2016, ART X Lagos has showcased artists from over 70 countries, firmly establishing itself as the leading hub for African and diaspora creatives. This year, the fair will continue its commitment to highlighting African art, culture, and community, while fostering critical conversations on the social and political transformations shaping the continent.
Against a backdrop of challenges being experienced in Nigeria, with political and socio-economic difficulties across Africa and further afield, this year’s theme will explore, “Promised Lands,” – places, real and imagined, that offer hope and a vision of greater freedoms—prompting a critical examination of where Africa and its diaspora aspire to go.
Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder of ART X Lagos, shared:
“We are thrilled to present an exceptional lineup of artists, exhibitions and galleries for our ninth edition, representing the diverse and dynamic voices emerging from all corners of Africa and the diaspora. ‘Promised Lands’ is a theme that resonates deeply with our collective journey—reflecting on where we are and envisioning where we aspire to be. It was crucial for us to create a platform that not only anchors the African art movement but also drives meaningful conversations about the social, political, and cultural landscapes of our continent. We remain dedicated to creating an absolutely cannot-miss experience for our artists, cultural partners, gallerists, collectors and visitors from Africa, and around the world.”
With a diverse selection of curated galleries, thought-provoking exhibitions and special projects, dynamic live performances, and insightful discussions, the fair continues to push boundaries and foster cross-cultural dialogue. Below are some of the key highlights:
ART X Lagos 2024 will feature 10 specially curated galleries from cities like Lagos, Harare, Accra, and London, showcasing a diverse mix of emerging and established artists from across Africa and its diaspora. The galleries will present a cross-section of artists making unique contributions to the visual arts ecosystem, reinforcing ART X Lagos’ mission to promote artistic excellence and cross-cultural collaboration. The 2024 galleries include: Afriart Gallery (Uganda), Alexis Gallery (Nigeria), Galerie MAM (Cameroon), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), Affinity Art Gallery (Nigeria), Kanbi Projects (UK), kó (Nigeria), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria), ODA Art Gallery (Nigeria) and Tiwani Contemporary (UK).
The Speakers’ Corner: The Crossroads, is a participatory experience that seeks to invite attendees to reflect on Nigeria’s current challenges, creating a collective tapestry of shared voices and hopes. Curated by Papa Omotayo in collaboration with Haily Grenet, Fikayo Adebajo, and Dike Anthony, this space invites meaningful engagement on pivotal societal questions. The Mark-Makers: Unsung Pioneers exhibition honours extraordinary individuals who redefined what was possible for Africans in science, art, and social activism. Through their legacy, we are reminded that greatness stems from courage, collaboration, and the audacity to challenge the status quo. This exhibition was curated by Missla Libsekal, Fikayo Adebajo and Haily Grenet, with historical consultancy by Ed Keazor celebrating figures like Jonathan Adagogo Green, August Agboola Browne and Nana Asma’u.
In Restless Cities: From Lagos to the World, Andrew Dosunmu, the celebrated Lagos-born photographer and filmmaker, presents his first-ever solo exhibition in Africa. This exhibition invites viewers to explore Nigerian cities as living, breathing hubs, mirroring the connections shared in everyday life. Other major exhibitions include Marcellina Akpojotor’s textile art addressing sustainability and Williams Chechet’s Afro-futurist “Breaking Barriers,” both contributing to the fair’s theme of creativity driving social change.
Beyond the visual arts, ART X Live! curated by Lanre Masha and Ayo Lawson, will return with a live music experience connecting the dots between Nigeria’s past, present, and future sounds. Attendees can expect a concert experience where traditional Fuji music meets contemporary genres, and other multi-hyphenate African artists, with creative direction from visual artist Niyi Okeowo and producer Odunsi (The Engine).
ART X Cinema will showcase a selection of 13 films by African and diaspora filmmakers, while the Access ART X Prize 2023 winners, Julius Agbaje (Nigeria Award) and Shabu Mwangi (Africa/Diaspora Award), will host solo exhibitions around the concept of “What May Come”, alongside a retrospective on previous winners of the Prize, curated by Jumoke Sanwo.
In collaboration with Afreximbank, ART X Lagos will also present Art Across Borders: Where to Go, an exhibition featuring six mid-career African and Caribbean artists who explore ancestral connections and future possibilities, aligning with the fair’s theme of “Promised Lands.” Curated by Jumoke Sanwo, this exhibition delves into the African imagination. ART X Talks will further enrich the fair with engaging discussions, including a conversation with filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu, a collaboration with Native on the influence of African music genres on contemporary pop culture, and insights from Ed Keazor and Missla Libsekal, curators of the Mark-Makers exhibition.
Educational and engaging programs such as the Schools’ Programme and the Development Forum will nurture the next generation of African talent, ensuring that ART X Lagos continues to serve as a platform for creativity, cultural dialogue, and community building across Africa and the diaspora.
ART X Lagos has rapidly become a fixture for African art, culture, and creativity. As a key moment on the continent, the fair will continue to redefine held views of the African narrative while also building bridges between local and international audiences and their communities.
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Galleries at ART X Lagos 2024
Afriart Gallery (Uganda), Alexis Gallery (Nigeria), Galerie MAM (Cameroon), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), Affinity Art Gallery (Nigeria), Kanbi Projects (UK), kó (Nigeria), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria), ODA Art Gallery (Nigeria) and Tiwani Contemporary (UK).
About ART X Lagos
ART X Lagos was created to showcase and support the breadth of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Founded in 2016 by Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, the fair has since become a cornerstone of the African art sector. The first of its kind in West Africa, ART X Lagos goes beyond the traditional bounds of an art fair, and has become renowned for its ambitious programme that includes ART X Cinema, ART X Talks, ART X Live! and specially curated projects which have featured an array of emerging and established artists from over 70 countries across the continent and diaspora.
ART X Lagos 2024 will take place from October 31st – November 3rd at The Federal Palace, Victoria Island, Lagos. The private Collectors’ Preview will be held on Thursday, October 31st, followed by the VIP Preview on Friday, November 1st. The fair will be open to the public on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd, 2024, while virtual audiences can also engage with the fair on Artsy.net.
For more information, visit artxlagos.com, Instagram @artxlagos.
Chinze Ojobo, a distinguished contemporary Nigerian artist with over 25 years of experience, recently captivated art enthusiasts and collectors with her groundbreaking exhibition at the prestigious Thames Side Studios in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London.
Chinze, a Fine and Applied Arts graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, showcased her profound artistic talent through various mediums, including acrylic on carved wood, acrylic on canvas, acrylic on Ankara cloth, and found objects. Her diverse range of works showcased her versatility and creativity as an artist.
The exhibition, which took place between June 15-16, 2024, was a resounding success, drawing art lovers from all walks of life. Chinze’s open studio allowed visitors to witness her latest creations firsthand, providing an immersive experience that left a lasting impression.
Under the theme, “Melting Boundaries,” Chinze’s exhibition shed light on the pressing challenges of climate change, particularly the alarming rise in displaced populations in Africa and around the world due to desert encroachment, flooding, and the hazardous effects of global carbon emissions. Chinze urged society to unite and address these urgent environmental issues through her art.
Her thought-provoking paintings served as a visual narrative, capturing the devastating consequences of climate change and the human struggle against its relentless force. With a deep understanding of the power of art to convey messages, Chinze’s creations evoked emotions, pushing viewers to contemplate the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for immediate action.
Speaking at the exhibition, she emphasised the importance of raising awareness about climate change and its impact on vulnerable communities. She called for a concerted effort from individuals, governments, and organisations to address the pressing issues of global warming, deforestation, and carbon emissions.
Art critics praised the exhibition and commended Chinze’s ability to merge artistic expression with social commentary. Her work was a powerful catalyst for change, encouraging viewers to reflect on their role in preserving the environment and taking steps towards a sustainable future.
As Ojobo’s exhibition came to a close, it left an indelible mark on the art world and the collective consciousness of those who had the privilege of experiencing it. Through her poignant and evocative creations, Chinze Ojobo succeeded in reminding us of our responsibility to protect our planet and create a better world for future generations.
Chinze has exhibited her works in various cities worldwide, including the New York Art Expo, London, Paris, Jo’burg, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Lagos, and Abuja.