Fobally Art Gallery welcomed a significant moment in Nigeria’s ceramic arts landscape as members of the Visions in Clay Artists Network (VICAN) gathered for an exhibition that brought together community, craftsmanship, and creative heritage. Hosted by Fobally Art Gallery, the exhibition, ECHOES IN CLAY: New Hands, New Possibilities, highlighted the enduring vibrancy of ceramic practice and the collective spirit that continues to shape its evolution.

Words, Ireho Aito | Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger! Photographs courtesy Visions in Clay Artists Network library

Another beautiful day to see hardworking sculptor, teacher and mentor of those of with vision, Ato Arinze at Fobally Art Gallery on a beautiful Wednesday evening for preparation of Visions in Clay forthcoming exhibition that opened on the 15th of November 2025. Ato came upstairs when he heard the Fobally Art Competition jurors were upstairs assessing the efforts of these young people.

Ato Arinze has seen it all just as he said after exchanging pleasantries with the jury team that he is handing over to the new upstarts. He has been gathering artists and launching them as greenhorn in various exhibitions for close to 25 years. Ato Arinze believed he has done enough for a beautiful foundation he has nurtured to grow.

He has been able to create such movements from Artzero to Visions in Clay Artists Network. While he once said he will continue to admire the selfless efforts of Toyin Akinosho and Jahman Anikulapo for creating enabling environment for art and culture to find a space in the creative ecosystem. He confessed long time ago that the two culture giants are his role models.

Visions in Clay Artists Network (VICAN) was founded in 2017 by Djakou Kassi Nathalie and Ato Arinze to address the absence of professional platforms for ceramic artists in Nigeria. Presently, VICAN has grown steadily from its humble beginnings as a WhatsApp forum in 2018. The movement stands as a continental network connecting potters, artists, also academics across Nigeria, Africa, and the global diaspora.

Through its exhibitions, workshops, and partnerships, VICAN collaborates with institutions such as Artdiscourse, the organizers of Beyond Limits, an annual ceramics showcase; CORA, the body behind the Lagos Books and Arts Festival (LABAF); Kaabo Clay Collective, a U.S.-based platform for Black ceramic artists; Da Loam, the Austrian ceramic studio and gallery owned by Selma Etareri; and Ecobank PLC, home to a permanent exhibition of Nigerian ceramics. These collaborations continue to expand the visibility and versatility of clay in contemporary art narratives.

The opening reception of ECHOES IN CLAY: New Hands, New Possibilities inside Fobally Art Gallery, had on display 30 different sculptural forms ranging from bold abstractions to intricately modelled figurative works, that filled the space with quiet power from 29 artists. Each piece revealed a story of exploration: textured surfaces that recalled ancient earth traditions, fluid forms that spoke of modern experimentation, and expressive modelling that captured the emotional resonance of clay as a living medium.

At the core of the event was the dynamic exchange among artists. VICAN members, both emerging creators and seasoned practitioners, engaged in conversations about technique, material research, studio challenges, and the growing relevance of clay in Nigeria’s creative ecosystem. These interactions reinforced VICAN’s mission to strengthen professional ties and broaden artistic horizons for ceramicists nationwide.

Symbolic event photographs featuring participating artists and enthusiasts captured the essence of the day. This is a community bound by collaboration, mentorship, and shared purpose. The presence of younger talents alongside experienced masters reflected VICAN’s intergenerational commitment to sustaining and expanding the craft.

The curatorial statement says it all for the essence of the group, that Echoes in Clay is a chorus of generations in a gathering where young dreamers, student potters, guest artists, and masters speak in one timeless language: clay. Each work is an echo shaped by touch, memory, and the ongoing dialogue between tradition and discovery.

This showcase brought together a dynamic group of artists such as Idemudia Mercy Itohan, Okoro Patience Orie, Babatunde Adebowale, Ayanwale Ajoke M., and Promise Akabueze whose works carried stories moulded from personal histories and shared cultural memory. Their pieces, created in studios across Nigeria, resonated with themes of resilience, identity, and the quiet beauty of form.

With an atmosphere that deepens with contributions from guest artists Akanni Kehinde, Chris Ekuafeh, Dare Adenuga, Victor Ogundeji, Adeoti Azeez, and Madeleine Tchabong. Their presence expanded the dialogue, infusing the space with diverse interpretations of clay’s expressive power. Together, they demonstrated how the medium stretches beyond technique into realms of vision, craft, and emotional resonance.

Elevating the experience were the exhibition’s special guest artists, Ato Arinze and Djakou Kassi Nathalie, two revered figures whose careers continue to shape the language of contemporary ceramics in Africa. Their works, celebrated across the continent, offered a bridge between tradition and innovation, inspiring the emerging talents gathered under the same roof.

ECHOES IN CLAY: New Hands, New Possibilities, opened as a celebration of mastery, but it unfolded as a promise and this remains an affirmation that new hands are ready, and that clay still holds countless possibilities waiting to be revealed.

ECHOES IN CLAY: New Hands, New Possibilities exhibition runs till 22nd of November 2025