When Dr. Hassan Aliyu began his professional artistic career in Lagos in 1986, Professor Yusuf Grillo was already one of the established figures in Nigerian modern art. Aliyu remembers Grillo visiting his studio and taking an interest in his work when he was still in his early twenties. Nearly four decades later, the Nigerian-born British artist is returning to the same place, now the Yusuf Grillo Museum, to participate in Lineage of Masters II, opening on October 25, 2026.

In a Facebook reflection, Aliyu recalls those formative years, the personal significance of the exhibition date and the generosity of artists whose contributions helped shape the generations that followed. His journey from Nigeria to the UK, where he has built an accomplished career as an artist and curator, gives his tribute to Grillo added meaning.

 

Reflection culled from Dr. Hassan Aliyu’s Facebook Page. Words Ireho Aito | Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger! Photographs

 

ARTROAD – Exhibition | Lineage of Masters II: Hassan Aliyu Revisits Yusuf Grillo’s Benevolence

Born in Britain to Nigerian parents, Aliyu grew up between the two countries before studying Fine Art at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He relocated to the UK in 1990 and has since built an international career as a visual artist and curator. As president of the Nigerian Art Society UK (NASUK), he continues to contribute to the visibility of Nigerian artists in the diaspora.

In a Facebook reflection announcing his participation in Lineage of Masters II, opening at the Yusuf Grillo Museum, Ikeja, on October 25, 2026, Aliyu shares the personal memories behind his return.

“I am delighted to be participating in Lineage of Masters, a group exhibition opening at the Yusuf Grillo Museum on 25 October 2026, a date that holds particular poignancy for me.

“On 25 October 1983, I lost my father. Three years later, in 1986, I embarked on my professional artistic career in Lagos, determined to make him proud, even in his absence. Those were exciting, formative years in the Lagos art scene, long before the emergence of many of the galleries, institutions, ‘experts’ and commercial structures that define Nigeria’s art landscape today.”

The date carries both personal loss and professional beginnings for Aliyu. His reflection also recognises the artists who helped establish the foundations upon which younger generations have built their careers.

“Four decades on, it is a particular pleasure to exhibit alongside such a distinguished gathering of dedicated, committed and pioneering artists, many of whom helped lay the foundations upon which subsequent generations have built their careers. Some may be unsung heroes today, but their contributions remain indelible.

“We are because they were.”

For Aliyu, the exhibition holds a special connection to Grillo, whose interest in his work left a lasting impression on him as a young artist.

“It is especially fitting that this exhibition honours the legacy of Yusuf Grillo, one of the great figures of Nigerian modernism. I fondly remember the day he walked into my studio. I was in my early twenties, and having an artist of his stature take an interest in my work was an unforgettable experience.

“I was also a regular visitor to his studio in Ikeja, the very place that now houses the museum where I have the privilege of exhibiting, some four decades later. It is a poignant return, many years since I last saw him, and a reminder of the generosity, encouragement and enduring influence of those who came before us.”

Aliyu’s recollection offers a personal glimpse of Grillo beyond his place in Nigerian art history. It speaks of an established artist who took the time to visit a younger colleague’s studio and show an interest in his work. That gesture became a memory Aliyu carries with him decades later.

The artist has exhibited widely in Nigeria, the UK and internationally. His exhibition history includes Winds of Change at 198 Gallery in London in 1995, RACE at Didi Museum in Lagos in 1998, Legacies of Biafra in 2018, and Waves of Change: Artistic Journeys from Nigeria to Britain, presented as part of the 1-54 London Art Fair in 2024. His practice explores identity, migration, colonial history and economic power, themes that have also informed his work as a curator.

At Lineage of Masters II, he will present his collaged painting Capital and the Opium Hostage, continuing his exploration of capital, power and the legacies of exploitation.

“For this exhibition, I will be showing my collaged painting, Capital and the Opium Hostage, a work that continues my exploration of the relationship between capital, power and the enduring legacies of exploitation.”

Other diaspora-based participants include Lara Ige-Jacks and Dr. Ade Ogundimu-Alao from the UK, while Professor Dele Jegede will join the exhibition from the United States.

Looking ahead to the gathering, Aliyu commented:

“I look forward to reconnecting with old friends, colleagues and fellow artists, and celebrating the remarkable lineage of creativity to which we all belong.”

His reflection is a reminder that the history of art is carried not only through paintings, exhibitions and institutions, but also through the relationships between artists. For Aliyu, returning to Grillo’s former studio brings those relationships into focus and honours the encouragement he received at a formative stage of his career.

LINEAGE OF MASTERS II, honouring Yusuf  Grillo’s Legacy opens at Yusuf Grillo Museum, Lagos, on the 25th of October 2026.

 

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