The Making of an African
Capital of Culture
Lagos Biennial I-V
Capital of Culture
Lagos Biennial I-V
I was approached by the Director of Lagos Biennial, Dr Folakunle Oshun, to design their hardback publication titled after the late Nigerian art curator, Bisi Silva’s essay ‘Lagos: The Making of an African Capital of Culture’.
This limited edition publication chronicles the first four editions of the Lagos Biennial from its inception in 2017. This architecturally conceived book invites readers to explore groundbreaking artistic interventions staged across Lagos’s iconic colonial and post-independence sites, including the Nigerian Railway Corporation (2017), Independence House (2019), and Tafawa Balewa Square (2021 & 2024). It presents a compelling narrative of how artists from Africa and around the world continue to engage with, shape, and inhabit these evolving urban spaces, while underscoring the international character of Lagos.
Editor: Folakunle Oshun
Designer: Kieron Lewis
Copy: Julia Breinbauer, Sabrina Roman, and Lisa Ness.
Image credit: Hanging Imaginaries (Feda Wardak),
Skies, Grounds, and Undergrounds, Installation View,
Lagos Biennial 2024.
This limited edition publication chronicles the first four editions of the Lagos Biennial from its inception in 2017. This architecturally conceived book invites readers to explore groundbreaking artistic interventions staged across Lagos’s iconic colonial and post-independence sites, including the Nigerian Railway Corporation (2017), Independence House (2019), and Tafawa Balewa Square (2021 & 2024). It presents a compelling narrative of how artists from Africa and around the world continue to engage with, shape, and inhabit these evolving urban spaces, while underscoring the international character of Lagos.
Editor: Folakunle Oshun
Designer: Kieron Lewis
Copy: Julia Breinbauer, Sabrina Roman, and Lisa Ness.
Image credit: Hanging Imaginaries (Feda Wardak),
Skies, Grounds, and Undergrounds, Installation View,
Lagos Biennial 2024.
Design
Case & Publication
Case & Publication
The book is housed in a sculptural concrete case modelled after the façade of Tafawa Balewa Square—the symbolic site of Nigeria’s independence celebrations in 1960.
The publication features contributions from 161 international artists. Through the overall design the aim was to capture the vibrancy and complexity of contemporary artistic discourse within historically charged environments.
Specifications:
Case:
7-kilogram hand-cast sculpture Case
Cover:
Foil: Foilco 6220 Gold
Material: Silk Touch Nuba SIN9065 Matt Black
Inside pages:
Font: Gotham & Baskerville
Thread sewn, 336mm x 494mm, 456 pages
Material: Arena Smooth 120gsm-Extra White
End papers:
Colorplan 135gsm-Ebony Black
Extras:
Text pages edge paint in black, head & tail bands, gold ribbon marker.
Print production by Print Love, UK.
The publication features contributions from 161 international artists. Through the overall design the aim was to capture the vibrancy and complexity of contemporary artistic discourse within historically charged environments.
Specifications:
Case:
7-kilogram hand-cast sculpture Case
Cover:
Foil: Foilco 6220 Gold
Material: Silk Touch Nuba SIN9065 Matt Black
Inside pages:
Font: Gotham & Baskerville
Thread sewn, 336mm x 494mm, 456 pages
Material: Arena Smooth 120gsm-Extra White
End papers:
Colorplan 135gsm-Ebony Black
Extras:
Text pages edge paint in black, head & tail bands, gold ribbon marker.
Print production by Print Love, UK.
Publication launch
Nigeria
Nigeria
The hand-cast sculpture and publication was unveiled by Dr Folakunle Oshun and British artist Yinka Shonibare CBE RA on November 4, 2025 at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, commemorating Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary (October 1, 1960).
A limited edition of 65 copies are in production, with 50 copies available to the public as part of the Lagos Biennial’s fundraising campaign. All proceeds will go towards developing and constructing the Lagos Biennial’s new home: Àkéte Collection – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Lagos.
A paperback edition will be released for purchase in October 2028.
www.lagos-biennial.org
A limited edition of 65 copies are in production, with 50 copies available to the public as part of the Lagos Biennial’s fundraising campaign. All proceeds will go towards developing and constructing the Lagos Biennial’s new home: Àkéte Collection – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Lagos.
A paperback edition will be released for purchase in October 2028.
www.lagos-biennial.org