Lagos, Nigeria — Sola Muyiwa will present a new solo exhibition titled A Few Minutes After… this April in Lagos. The exhibition opens on the 25th of April with a private viewing. This solo exhibition brings together recent watercolour works that examine everyday life in the aftermath of disruption, focusing on how individuals and communities continue to exist within changing urban conditions.

Words Ireho Aito | Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger! Images Courtesy Amb. Sola Muyiwa

Developed from the artist’s observation and interpretation of events such as the demolition of waterfront communities including Makoko, the series is grounded in real social concerns around housing, displacement, and survival. While the works are based on artist impressions, they engage directly with lived realities across the city.

Speaking in a brief interview with iBAND Magazine, Muyiwa explains the conceptual direction of the exhibition;

“I am not merely painting scenes; I am revealing how life exists, shifts, and survives. This body of work traces a journey from disruption to emergence… a movement through rhythm, reflection, rupture, and memory.”

He further situates the work within a broader social framework;

“As an artist and public intellectual, I understand shelter not merely as architecture, but as a fundamental expression of dignity, identity, and belonging. The loss of shelter represents more than physical displacement; it is a disruption of memory, stability, and human continuity.”

Working primarily in watercolour, Muyiwa uses the medium’s fluid and unpredictable qualities to reflect instability and transition. His compositions reference locations such as Oko Baba, once one of West Africa’s largest timber markets, as well as informal settlements where residents have built under challenging and often unsafe conditions.

The exhibition raises questions about responsibility, urban development, and the human impact of policy decisions. As the artist notes:

“My practice engages with these conditions by bearing witness to moments of rupture and resilience… My work becomes a site where personal histories intersect with broader social and political structures.”

The exhibition will be held at Quintessence Gallery, continuing the gallery’s commitment to presenting work that reflects contemporary Nigerian realities.

The exhibition will open with a private preview on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM, followed by a public opening on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2:00 PM. Both events will take place at Quintessence Gallery, located at 285 Akin Olugbade Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where collectors, members of the public, and the media are expected to attend.

iBAND Magazine, Celebrating Visual Arts from the Original.
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