Tag: Thought Pyramid Art Centre

The annual Next of Kin art competition and exhibition organised by Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, returns for its eighth edition with a thought-provoking theme Fragments of Being. The theme is a call to emerging visual artists to explore the shifting identities and changing human conditions that define our times. Initiator of the project, Mr. Ovie Omatsola, has said that so many things have been happening recently with people suddenly changing and taking up new characters. “Many have forgotten who they are, so we thought to see how our visual artists can interpret that through research,” he noted.

For this year, the platform will spotlight 20 exceptional finalists selected from entries across Nigeria and beyond. From these, one main prize winner will emerge and be awarded a solo art exhibition prize worth N6,000,000 for 2027. This, we believe will be a life-changing opportunity to further their artistic journey.

Next of Kin Series 8 is proudly sponsored by Nigeria Machine Tools and Trustbanc, in continued support of emerging artistic excellence and cultural development in Africa.

The finalists’ exhibition will hold between Sunday 5 April and Saturday 25 April, with the main prize winner announced at the exhibition opening.

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Through Fragments of Being, artists are expected to reflect on what remains constant within us when everything else changes: to piece together identity, memory, and truth in a world defined by transformation. Fragments of Being explores the evolving nature of human existence: how experiences, memories, culture, and time continuously shape and reshape who we are.

It reflects on how we lose and rediscover parts of ourselves in the process of living, creating, and surviving.

Artists are also expected to examine what it means to be: to exist, to change, and to hold on to meaning amidst the fragments that life leaves behind. Through diverse interpretations, Fragments of Being becomes a mirror to the human condition; a proof to how identity is never fixed but constantly in motion, molded by what we encounter, endure, and become. Next of Kin is a yearly juried art project that is both a competition and an exhibition. It offers guidance, mentorship, and Thought Pyramid Art Centre’s platform as support to propel emerging artists to the limelight. As an art project, Next of Kin was conceived to contribute to the development of fresh talents.

Since it was inaugurated in 2018, it has been created to plan and prepare the future of visual art in Nigeria by discovering from the hoard of current emerging visual artists- one who possesses that peculiar artistic originality and creative disruptiveness with transcending futuristic abilities and traits.

The success of Next of Kin lies in the unearthing of such talents. Previous winners include the Forbes-listed artist Antonia Nneji, Bonhams Auctioned artist Ikechukwu Ezeigwe, Continental dominating Christian Allison, and the recently unearthed Idowu Emmanuel, Cletus Oche, Yakno Ene, and Olalekan Adeyemi Julius.

A solo exhibition of paintings by Yakno Jessicah Ene tagged Beyond words and time, which opened recently at the Thought Pyramid Arts Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, was more than a fitting title as it was a declaration of arrival, strength, silent battles fought and won. The exhibition, and everything it represents, prove what it means to not just ‘talk the talk, but to walk the walk.’

It will run from July 13th to 26th. Curated by Adetiloye Oluwatosin Jekami, the exhibition marks Yakno’s return to Nigeria following her international debut solo at The Other Art Fair Dallas in 2024, funded by Next of Kin and Thought Pyramid Art Centre.

According to the Exhibition Director, Thought Pyramid Art Centre Mr. Ovie Omatsola, Yakno’s journey to this moment has been anything but easy. He recalled that before she was crowned the main prize winner of Next of Kin Series 6, she faced custom rejections. “She submitted, hoped, and was turned down. But she didn’t stop. She didn’t disappear. She evolved. She tried again—and again—until her turn finally came. And when it did, she didn’t just make it count; she made it unforgettable.

“Series 6 will go down in Next of Kin history as one of the classics. Not just for the quality of entries or the expansion of the competition across Africa, but because it gave us Yakno—the very first female main prize winner in a finalist lineup of 20, most of whom were male. Her victory was not just a win for herself, but for every young woman who has ever questioned whether she belongs in the art industry, whether she has what it takes, whether she can rise and stand tall in male-dominated spaces. Yakno’s answer to all those questions is right here—in these 16 works. With this debut Nigeria solo exhibition, she communicates the truth of her gender: the things they have conquered, and those they will continue to rise above. This is a deeply personal body of work, but also a universal one. It speaks to resilience,” he added. He described the exhibition as a reminder that true artists aren’t made overnight, but are shaped in the quiet places of rejection, determination, and courage. Addressing themes of female identity, time, and the pressures of societal expectation, the exhibition resists easy interpretation, preferring instead to immerse the viewer in richly symbolic compositions.

“Accomplishing victory as Next of Kin Series 6 main prize winner is incredibly meaningful to me, especially being the first female artist to win it on a continental level. This recognition is a privilege and a testament to the hard work and dedication I’ve put into my craft. Being the second female winner, following the inspiring Anthonia Nneji, whom I admire greatly, adds to the significance of this achievement,” Yakno said.

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Interestingly, she is the second female artist to claim the NOK prize and the first to do so at a continental level. Her unique vision, dedication, and pursuit of self-expression have propelled her into the spotlight, breaking new ground for women artists in Africa. Among the 16 works on display were Her Sanctuary of fading rules, Made of light not of flesh alone (series), The grip of times and vines, The waiting room, What else must I become, Where I wander, and Wings flutter. Of all the works, only one was produced in 2024.

Beyond words and time challenges those narratives as she confronts age-shaming, deconstructs the myth of the biological clock, and critiques the pervasive beauty standards that demand women remain perpetually youthful and on time.

Yakno’s approach blends satire, surrealism, and a naive painting style, resulting in visually arresting works that invite both introspection and confrontation. She incorporates a range of living and symbolic forms, each chosen to represent the tension between bodily autonomy and societal expectation. These motifs speak to the visible and invisible burdens that women carry, forming a language of resistance rooted in culture, emotion, and memory.

Her perspective is shaped by an upbringing among strong female family members in Nigeria, as well as formative years spent in Ghana, a country with notable matrilineal cultural influences. This dual exposure enriches her practice with a layered understanding of both cultural pride and social pressure. Her work simultaneously celebrates womanhood and critiques the systems that attempt to confine it.

Beyond Words and Time is not merely a critique—it is an act of reclamation. Through these works, Yakno asserts that womanhood is not a deadline, that ageing is not failure, and that a woman’s worth cannot be reduced to her ability to be chosen, to conceive, or to conform. By inviting viewers into a space of reflection, discomfort, and release, Yakno challenges them to confront the deeply embedded narratives around time, age, and femininity. Her work stands as a declaration that beyond societal expectations—beyond words and beyond time—women exist: fully, powerfully, and on their terms.