Business Expo & Art Exhibition
Where culture meets economic transformation at WAES 2025.
Where Culture Meets Economic Transformation
Curatorial Statement
"Africa has long understood that to look forward we must first look back. Nowhere is this principle more relevant than at the 2025 West African Economic Summit (WAES). This curated exhibition underscores the region's profound artistic legacy while projecting its future cultural influence on the global stage."
Under the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this exhibition amplifies voices from ECOWAS member states. Works trace five decades of evolution, rooted in Pan-African movements of the 1960s, weaving historical and contemporary narratives that shape West African identity.
The Vision
"Our young, dynamic, creative, and resilient people" sit at the center of the agenda—making art a catalyst for economic vision.
Cultural Diplomacy
Positioning Nigeria and West Africa as a creative leadership hub through visual storytelling and exchange.
Key Themes
Shared Identity
Collective memory and unity through visual narrative.
Creative Leadership
Nigeria & West Africa as a cultural center of gravity.
Knowledge Building
From pre-colonial semiotics to contemporary hybridity.
Economic & Cultural Impact
The exhibition frames art as soft power—linking creative economies, tourism, and regional investment with a shared West African narrative.
The Artists & Collection
Regional Artists
West Africa
Ludovic Fadaïro
Benin RepublicBridges painting and sculpture with craquelé and sculpeinture textures, exploring spiritual and material dimensions across five decades.
Abdoulaye Konaté
MaliTextile master crafting large-scale dyed and stitched installations that comment on conflict, environment, and cultural memory.
Njogu Touray
The GambiaMultidisciplinary artist with earthy palettes and calligraphic patterns on healing and interconnectedness; co-founder of Wide Open Walls.
Hawa Jane Bangura
Sierra LeoneVisual artist and lawyer, founder of The Barray; blends acrylic with pointillism to explore African history and representation of women.
Kadri Hamadou
NigerMultidisciplinary artist inspired by Songhai-Zarma motifs and Tuareg hospitality, revealing spectral forms between abstraction and figuration.
Barkinado Bocoum
SenegalPainter and color-theory professor; mosaic compositions that move between abstraction and figuration using linear distortion.
Pascal Konan
Côte d'IvoireAbidjan-based artist using fragmented figuration with denim and repurposed materials to depict urban psychological landscapes.
Lemos Djata
Guinea BissauHyperrealist known as 'the artist of the soul', capturing emotional intensity and spiritual depth.
Amarkine Amarteifio
GhanaPainter, sculptor, and poet with 40+ years of practice; launched Accra for Art to brand the city.
Christophe Sawadogo
Burkina FasoPainter using ink and found materials to explore migration and water scarcity through poetic, calligraphic compositions.
Nigerian Artists
Nigeria
Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya
NigeriaLegendary printmaker and Zaria Art Society founder; UNESCO Living Human Treasure with works in Tate Modern and Smithsonian.
Mufu Onifade
NigeriaInventor of Araism technique; multidisciplinary artist, writer, and critic with 100+ exhibitions.
Prof. Chuu Krydz Ikwuemesi
NigeriaProfessor of Painting exploring ethno-aesthetics and visual cultures of death and mourning (Uli philosophy).
Prof. Peju Layiwola
NigeriaArt historian focusing on restitution of Benin artifacts; works with textiles and metal to weave history and memory.
Victor Ehikhamenor
NigeriaMultimedia artist of abstract symbolic works; Nigeria’s rep at Venice Biennale and founder of Angels and Muse.
Segun Aiyesan
NigeriaSelf-taught artist blending fascination with nature and bold color; operates studios in Canada and Nigeria.
Gerald Chukwuma
NigeriaSculptor using upcycled wood and metals to examine migration, globalization, and Igbo culture.
Nduwhite Ndubuisi Ahanonu
NigeriaCurator of the exhibition and Atrium Gallery; operationalizes foreign policy through cultural diplomacy.
Steve Ekpenisi
NigeriaSculptor celebrated for intricate metalworks from shredded plates, rods, and scrap with monumental presence.
Jacqueline Suowari
NigeriaRenowned for monumental ballpoint drawings; founder of The Passion for Art Initiative and MIPAD honoree.
Samuel Nnorom
NigeriaTextile sculptor using Ankara scraps and bubbles to explore social resilience; Art for Change Global Prize winner.
Jesse Yakubu (Jesichun)
NigeriaArchitect and photographer exploring space, culture, and human experience through architectural principles.
Idris Abdulwahab
NigeriaExplores language, abstraction, and memory by deconstructing Arabic calligraphy into fluid abstract forms.
Business Expo
Innovation, Investment & Partnership
The WAES Business Expo convenes corporations, financiers, policymakers, and innovators to forge partnerships, showcase products, and unlock regional growth opportunities across West Africa.
ECOWAS Commission
Regional · Trade & Integration
African Development Bank
Regional · Finance
Dangote Group
Nigeria · Manufacturing
MTN Group
South Africa · Telecommunications
Ecobank
Togo · Banking
Ghana Cocoa Board
Ghana · Agriculture
Senegal Port Authority
Senegal · Logistics
Nigeria Tech Hub
Nigeria · Technology
Join WAES 2027 as an Exhibitor or Featured Artist
Showcase your business or artistic work to regional leaders, investors, and innovators.