YSMA, Yenwa, Myma Art Prize take ‘What is given’ exhibition to wider Lagos audience

Exhibition opening event for what is given at YSMA

Stanley Ihedigbo

Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA), Pan-Atlantic University, in collaboration with Yenwa Gallery and the Myma Art Prize (MAP), has brought the inaugural What Is Given exhibition to a wider audience in Lagos, showcasing contemporary works by emerging and early-career artists from Nigeria and Ghana.

The exhibition, held in honour of Dr Myma Belo-Osagie, runs from September 27 to October 21, 2026, at YSMA, following its initial presentation at Yenwa Gallery from June 13 to July 4.

It features works by four artists, Omolola Coker, Emmanuel Ellis, Vincent Frimpong and Edward Prah, whose artistic practices explore inheritance, memory, identity, materiality, place and the reinterpretation of received ideas and materials.

The presentation at YSMA builds on the original exhibition with additional works drawn from Dr Belo-Osagie’s private collection.

Titled What Is Given, the exhibition examines how individuals receive, interpret and transform the materials, memories, traditions and experiences passed down to them.

Through painting, photography, sculpture and installation, the artists challenge conventional understandings of inheritance and explore how familiar objects and experiences can acquire new meanings.

Curator and Yenwa founder, Ugonna Ibe-Ejiogu, explained that what people inherit may take different forms, including photographs, fabrics, discarded materials, memories, rituals and places, which can be experienced as either gifts or burdens.

The exhibition encourages viewers to consider how individuals respond to these inheritances and the extent to which they can reshape them.

The exhibition’s presentation at YSMA followed an encounter with the original show by the museum’s director, Dr Jess Castellote, who also served on the inaugural Myma Art Prize judging panel.

Impressed by the artistic quality, curatorial coherence and ideas explored in the exhibition, Castellote proposed bringing it to the university museum to reach a broader audience.

He said the exhibition aligned with YSMA’s commitment to presenting contemporary art as a platform for education, research, critical thinking and public engagement.

“What struck me about What Is Given was not only the quality of the works, but the generosity of the questions the exhibition leaves with the viewer,” Castellote said.

He explained that the artworks invite audiences to reflect on inheritance, memory, material and identity, as well as the choices people make about what they receive from previous generations.

According to him, the university museum provides an appropriate setting for extending these conversations to students, researchers and members of the public.

The exhibition will be complemented by educational programmes for university and secondary school students, designed to encourage close observation, discussion and critical engagement with the artists’ works and ideas.

At the centre of the exhibition is the story of Dr Myma Belo-Osagie, whose longstanding interest in collecting Nigerian and Ghanaian art inspired the establishment of the Myma Art Prize.

Created by her children to mark her 70th birthday, the prize seeks to extend her philosophy of collecting and giving back by creating opportunities for emerging artists to develop their practices and build sustainable careers.

Beyond recognising artistic achievement, the initiative incorporates artist development, mentorship, exhibition opportunities and a physical residency for the grand-prize winner.

Dr Belo-Osagie’s vision also extends to strengthening the wider creative economy by supporting not only artists but also curators, gallerists, framers, transporters, insurers and other professionals whose work sustains the art ecosystem.

For Ibe-Ejiogu, the exhibition’s presentation at YSMA provides an opportunity to extend the conversation beyond its original venue and introduce the participating artists to new audiences.

“A prize is a particular kind of gift. It does not only reward work already made; it makes new work possible,” she said.

She added that the exhibition reflects the broader philosophy behind the Myma Art Prize: creating conditions for artists to experiment, develop new work and gain visibility.

Bringing the exhibition to YSMA, she noted, would also encourage conversations among students, researchers and audiences who might not have encountered the works during their initial presentation.

Junaid Belo-Osagie, who works closely with the Myma Art Prize team, said the exhibition’s relocation reflected the family’s intention to extend the impact of his mother’s collecting philosophy.

He explained that her collection was built around sustained interest in artists and recognition of the value of their practices, sometimes before receiving wider attention.

“The Myma Art Prize grew from that spirit of attention and support,” he said, adding that the exhibition’s presentation at YSMA would introduce younger audiences to contemporary art and the possibilities of pursuing careers in the creative sector.

The Belo-Osagie family, in a statement published in the inaugural exhibition catalogue, described the prize as an effort to build the infrastructure needed to support West African art production, including stronger collector and curatorial networks and communities that enable artists to establish sustainable careers.

The educational engagements accompanying the exhibition form part of YSMA’s continuing efforts to use art exhibitions as platforms for public learning and cultural dialogue.

Ultimately, What Is Given invites audiences to reflect on the histories, materials, memories and identities they inherit and how these can be transformed through creativity and individual choice.

With its expanded presentation at YSMA, the exhibition continues the Myma Art Prize’s mission of supporting emerging artists while encouraging wider appreciation of contemporary Nigerian and Ghanaian art.