Yenwa Gallery has cemented itself as one of Lagos’s leading galleries, though, according to founder Ugonna Ibe Ejiogu, it happened almost by accident. A Nigerian American who grew up in London, Ibe Ejiogu moved to Nigeria in 2014 and set about building a career that spanned curating, public relations, and fashion. By 2021, she was head of PR at arts center Terra Kulture, the founder of clothing brand Cinnamon, and the head of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists in Nigeria.
In an ideal world, Ibe Ejiogu told ARTnews, she would have joined an institution rather than start Yenwa. But at the time, there were few institutions or galleries that could absorb senior curatorial talent. Thus, Yenwa was born.
The gallery’s program is deliberately broad but curatorially firm. While acknowledging Nigeria remains a painter’s market, the gallery consistently makes room for mediums that are harder to place commercially: photography, collage, works on paper, ceramics, and sculpture. Its community includes younger, curious, and less name-led collectors, which gives Yenwa latitude to introduce overlooked or undiscovered artists.
Ugonna notes that the Nigerian art scene does have the potential to set its own agenda. “Sometimes you sit there and see an artist who’s blowing up abroad and think, ‘Oh… well,’ when we can do better at holding power here,” she said. “We shouldn’t wait for external sources to identify who’s the artist to watch. We should do a better job of saying, ‘These are the artists we have identified as worth your attention and investment.’”
International visibility is welcome, she adds, but too often acclaim flows from abroad before it gathers at home. The goal is not to reject the global stage, but to rebalance it—building local authority, local confidence, and a clearer pipeline from Nigerian galleries to sustained careers.
