Ori II: 30 Nigerian sculptors explore identity, memory, consciousness in 2nd biennial

By Editor

ORI II, the second biennial of contemporary Nigerian sculpture, brings together 30 emerging and established Nigerian sculptors to examine the human head as a site of identity, consciousness, memory, and lived experience. Held every two years and dedicated entirely to sculpture, Ori positions 3D practice at the center of contemporary Nigerian art discourse. The show’s opening reception on Saturday, 29 August 2026 @4.00pm while the exhibition runs till 13 September 2026 at Quintessence Gallery, Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria.

Curated by Ato Arinze and Uche Obasi, the exhibition takes inspiration from the Yoruba concept of Ori — the inner head associated with consciousness, character, selfhood, and destiny. Beyond physical likeness, the works explore what the head carries: ancestry, cultural memory, belief systems, psychological experience, leadership, and aspiration.

A key feature of Ori II is the participation of two veteran sculptors and mentors: Special Guest Artist Ekpeyong ‘Koko’ Ayi and guest artist, Patrick Agose. With decades of experience in realistic figure and portrait sculpture, they provide a vital link between generations of Nigerian sculptural practice. The exhibition also highlights six female sculptors, reflecting the growing presence of women in the field. Djakou Kassi Nathalie brings a ceramicist’s sensitivity to form, while Adebimpe Adebambo transforms plastics and other found, sustainable materials into vibrant mixed-media reliefs. Other participating artists include Dr. Adeola Balogun, Professor Lasisi Lamidi, Ato Arinze, Chris Ekuafeh, David Adeogun, Endurance Omoloja, Okezie Okafor alongside a broad range of established and emerging voices.

Working across wood, metal, ceramics, clay, assemblage, and found materials, the artists approach the head through varied visual languages. In Ori II, heads are fragmented, elongated, masked, distorted, and reconstructed — giving tangible form to intangible experiences. At its core, the exhibition frames identity as something continually shaped by the dialogue between individual, community, ancestry, and the present. It asks how we honor what we inherit while choosing what to transform. ORI II also fosters intergenerational dialogue, creating space for knowledge transfer between established masters and emerging practitioners. It affirms the depth and diversity of contemporary Nigerian sculpture.
The exhibition is presented in partnership with Quintessence Gallery and ArtO Studio, founded by Ato Arinze in 2022. Together they continue their commitment to concept-driven exhibitions and the development of Nigerian art. Building on the inaugural edition, Ori II reaffirms the biennial’s role as a recurring platform for critical engagement with sculptural practice across themes, materials, and generations. Ori II draws audiences to reflect on signifier of importance of the head not only as a representation of who we are, but as a reflection of how we become within a community – centred consciousness.

Showing at the 2nd biennial, clock-wise from top to bottom: ‘Brain Fog – The Woman’s Brain Some Times’ by Adebimpe Adebambo; ‘Myriads of Perspectives’ by Dr. Adeola Balogun; ‘Admiration’ by Agose Patrick Ighogbedhere and ‘Ile Imo’ (‘House of knowledge’) by Bieni Isaiah Uche