For followers of Nigerian contemporary art, Duke Emuyenwomano Asidere is not merely a painter. He is a storyteller, teacher, mentor, provocateur and one of the most recognisable visual voices to emerge from the post-Zaria generation. And beginning from June 5 through July 18, 2026, the artist presents “Works From Across a Life of Thinking and Making”, an exhibition that promises to revisit the ideas, personalities and experiences that have shaped his remarkable journey since 1986. The exhibition runs at Adegbola Gallery in conjunction with Fresco Gallery, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Words iBAND Editorial team | Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger! | Photographs Duke Asidere archives. Artwork courtesy privateviews.artlogic.net

For years, iBAND Magazine has followed Duke Asidere’s and Playspot Studios creative trajectory, celebrating not only his paintings but also the personality behind them. As it was observed in Lost in a Duke’s Muse, persistence, courage, dedication and constant reinvention have remained central to the artist’s career. The publication also highlighted his commitment to family, education, mentorship and the nurturing of younger artists through his creative initiatives and studio engagements.

This exhibition arrives as a visual archive of a life spent thinking deeply about society and translating those thoughts into paint. Visitors can expect to encounter the familiar Playspot Studious and Duke vocabulary of expressive figures, emotional colour fields and narratives that oscillate between personal reflection and social commentary.

One theme that has consistently defined Asidere’s practice is his fascination with the female figure. Over the years, iBAND Magazine has repeatedly drawn attention to what many admirers have come to describe as the artist’s muses. These women are not passive subjects. They are carriers of memory, resilience, grace and everyday experience. They populate his canvases as market women, companions, mothers and silent observers, embodying the strength and dignity that continue to inspire his artistic imagination.

The exhibition title itself suggests something broader than a retrospective. It is an invitation into the artist’s mental and creative landscape, as it speaks to decades of observation, experimentation, humour, scholarship and continuous learning. As iBAND Magazine once described him, Duke Asidere possesses the temperament of a learned instructor who is always teaching, debating, questioning and encouraging younger creatives to think beyond the obvious.

What makes this exhibition especially significant is its timing. At a stage when many artists settle comfortably into established formulas, Asidere continues to champion reinvention. In a brief telephone conversation with iBAND Magazine in Lagos, he revealed that the exhibition brings together works from his earliest artistic beginnings in 1986 through to 2026, spanning four decades of creative exploration, experimentation, and mastery. It is a remarkable journey that reflects the evolution of an artist whose practice has remained vibrant, relevant, and deeply engaging across generations.

Duke Asidere’s  career has been marked by resilience, curiosity and an unwavering commitment to artistic growth. These qualities have ensured that his work remains relevant to collectors, scholars, fellow artists and new audiences discovering his paintings for the first time.

For art lovers, collectors and students of African visual culture, “Works From Across a Life of Thinking and Making” offers a rare opportunity to encounter the breadth of an artist whose journey has been defined by courage, imagination and a lifelong devotion to the creative process.

iBAND Magazine, Celebrating Visual Arts from the Original.
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