the voyage: and so it begins…

Exhibition
May 18–31, 2025 | Lianna Foundation, Lagos

Lianna Foundation launched its inaugural exhibition, The Voyage: And So It Begins..., on May 18, 2025. This landmark exhibition brought together 18 artists—17 from Nigeria and 1 from Ghana—in a shared celebration of creative momentum, personal exploration, and cultural transformation.

More than an opening, The Voyage marked the beginning of Lianna’s vision: to hold space for artists to reflect, challenge, and imagine. The exhibition honoured over a decade of artistic relationships and collaborations that shaped the foundation’s origin, offering a full-circle moment grounded in care, equity, and community.

The show unfolded as a constellation of works—painting, photography, drawing, textile, and mixed media—held within a new kind of space. One that looks forward while holding memory, where experimentation meets familiarity, and where art is not only shown, but shared.

Through this debut, Lianna extended an invitation: to see art not as spectacle, but as something intimate and alive. A conversation. A promise. A beginning.

Featured Artists:

Inioluwa Abolarin (painter), Eyitayo Alagbe (painter), Olubunmi Atere (Sculptor), Oni Balogun (painter), Mathew Eguaveon (painter), Wasiu Eshinlokun (painter), Fatai Kelani (painter), Ayanfe Olarinde (mixed media artist), Adeolu Osibodu (photographer), Emma Odumade (painter), Kaydee Otaru (painter), Johnson Ocheja (painter), Adaeze Okaro (photographer), Isshaq Ismail (painter – Ghana), OLORUNJEDALO (Sound artist), Sam Ibom (performance artist), Sodiq Abiola (mixed media), Civilized Villagrr (digital artist).

curatorial overview

“Alone, I can smile, but together, we can laugh. Alone I can enjoy but together we can celebrate. Alone I can talk but together we can speak." - Chinua Achebe 

The Voyage: And So It Begins... marks the official debut of Lianna Foundation (LFG), a new arts and culture institution dedicated to fostering contemporary African expression through bold, inclusive, and innovative programming. Opening May 18, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria, this landmark exhibition brings together 18 artists-17 from Nigeria and 1 from Ghana-in a celebration of creative momentum, personal exploration, and cultural transformation. 

This inaugural exhibition does not merely open a space; it inaugurates a vision. The Voyage is the organisation's foundational gesture setting the tone for a future shaped by artistic depth, cultural dialogue, and radical imagination. 

At the heart of this journey lies a commitment to representation, equity, and community-building. The Voyage is a deeply personal milestone. It represents a full-circle moment- a culmination of over a decade of artistic relationships, mentorships, and shared creative journeys that shaped the foundation of LFG. The show honors these connections while opening a forward-facing platform for innovation and inclusive dialogue in contemporary African art. 

The Voyage is a manifestation of shared creative paths and enduring relationships, brought into the light for the world to witness. It is as much about past resilience as it is about future promise. 

Through this debut, LFG invites audiences to witness the emergence of a curatorial voice grounded in care, complexity, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of art. 

view artworks and artists' bio

installation views

Art exhibition titled 'The Voyage: And So It Begins...' with a central digital display and framed artworks on white walls. The digital display shows a colorful, abstract landscape with blue sky and green grass. Framed artworks to the left and right feature stylized, colorful portraits with bold features.
Art gallery interior with paintings and sculptures, benches in center, and wooden flooring.
An art gallery with framed artwork on white walls and hardwood flooring.
An art gallery with white walls and wooden floors displaying various framed photographs and paintings, including a beach scene with a woman in sunglasses and a beach umbrella, as well as abstract portraits and artwork.
Art gallery room with framed photographs and sculptures on black pedestals, wooden floor, and white walls.
Gallery wall with nine framed art pieces on white walls, wooden floor, ceiling light, and an air conditioning unit.
Art gallery with colorful paintings of people on white walls, a bench with floral upholstery in the foreground, and a wooden floor.
An art gallery room with several colorful paintings on white walls, a floral-patterned bench in the center, and light wooden flooring. The paintings depict various subjects, including people and abstract scenes.
View of an art gallery with various paintings on white walls and a bench in the center. Artwork includes colorful portraits and a landscape painting on a screen, with a text header reading 'The Voyage'.

associated activity - The Voyage beach party

As part of The Voyage, Lianna hosted a beach day with participating artists and friends—an informal moment to unwind, connect, and build community beyond the gallery walls.

It was laughter, shared stories, and sunlight—art in its most human form.

People enjoying time at the beach, some standing in the water, one person splashing water, a boat with passengers in the background.
A man with a beard and tattoo on his chest in a white tank top, standing indoors under a wooden staircase with colorful beams, holding a phone behind his back, looking confused or contemplative while a woman in a light blue shirt, with short hair, holding a jar and some other items, is in the foreground with her back to the camera.
Two people standing in shallow water on a beach, with a coconut and straw in the water nearby.
People swimming and wading in the ocean during daytime, with boats visible in the background.
A group of people on a beach launching or retrieving a fishing net from the water with the ocean and a breakwater in the background.

related initiatives

People participating in a dance or celebration in a living room with African decor and artwork.
Four people sitting on chairs in an art gallery, engaged in a discussion. Behind them, a large digital screen displays a colorful painting of a landscape with a blue sky and green grass. Artwork is visible on the walls, and a purple and black rug is on the floor in front.
Art gallery exhibit with paintings on white walls, including a colorful boat scene on the left, four sketches of faces in the center, and a monkey in a jungle setting on the right. A large black screen and display panels are also visible.