ART X Lagos, West Africa’s foremost international art fair, in conjunction with Access Bank, has announced the 2018 edition of the ‘ART X Prize with Access’, which was established to recognise and support the best of emerging Nigerian visual art talent.

With a mission to support and contribute to the development of the art sector in Nigeria, by investing in Nigerian talent, Access Bank’s collaboration with ART X Lagos, and sponsorship of the ART X Prize with Access, is a partnership that will provide vital professional development for a new generation of Nigerian artists, and celebrate and empower emerging talent.

The winner of the ART X Prize with Access will receive a N1million grant towards an ambitious project or installation by the artist, which will be exhibited in a solo presentation at ART X Lagos 2018. The winning artist will additionally receive significant visibility and invaluable opportunities for networking and mentoring.

As Tokini Peterside, Founder and Director of ART X Lagos remark, “We are delighted to have the support of Access Bank for this initiative which will enable us to support ambitious emerging artists in Nigeria, who are at pivotal stages in their careers. The ART X Prize with Access will give Nigeria’s most promising emerging artists the opportunity to further their careers, and to challenge the expectations of the global audience at ART X Lagos, which is comprised of collectors and visitors from significant institutions around the world.”

The ART X Prize with Access will be adjudicated by a jury of 5 renowned industry stakeholders:

Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya is a renowned experimental artist, with a career spanning five decades and notable exhibitions, including at the Tate Modern, London.

Yinka Shonibare MBE received Turner Prize nominations in 2004 and in 2008, and is renowned worldwide for his groundbreaking sculptures, photography and prints, including amongst others, his public art commission Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle, which was displayed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London in 2010.

Wura-Natasha Ogunji is a highly regarded visual artist and performer whose works include drawings, videos and public performances. She is a recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and is a co-curator of this year’s Sao Paulo Biennale.

Sokari Douglas-Camp has represented Britain and Nigeria in national and international exhibitions and her solo exhibitions have held at The Smithsonian Institute and The Museum of Mankind London among other institutions. She is an honorary Fellow of the University of the Arts, London

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