The exhibition Kindred Spirits: A Gathering of the Aka Circle of Artists in Lagos, Nigeria curated by A&A graduate student Iheanyi Onwuegbucha and featuring Professor Chika Okeke-Agulu, among 15 artists, opened at kó gallery on October 31 and will be on view until December 21, 2024.

The group of artists featured in the exhibition belong to the renowned Aka Circle of Exhibiting Artists. Founded in 1985 by El Anatsui and Obiora Udechukwu, the Aka Circle of Exhibiting Artists was a pioneering force in Nigeria's contemporary art scene between 1986 and 2000 known for their radical studio experiments challenging Western art orthodoxies. This exhibition, which brings the group together for the first time in nearly two decades, celebrates the diverse creative directions of the group's fifteen members, who, through four decades of artistic exploration, have continuously expanded the boundaries of contemporary Nigerian art. The exhibition also celebrates El Anatsui's 80th birthday and the 50th anniversary of his arrival in Nigeria.

Along with Okeke-Agulu and El Anatsui, the exhibition features Obiora Udechukwu, Chike Aniakor, Chris Afuba, Obiora Anidi, Ifedioramma Dike, Tayo Adenaike, Chike Ebebe, Chris Echeta, Nsikak Essien, Bona Ezeudu, Boniface Okafor, Samson Uchendu, and Tony Umunna.

In choosing Aka (the Igbo word for hand) as the rallying symbol for their group, the artists were intentional about their desire to maintain individuality in their art. They maintained that Aka was not an art movement or a school but a forum for the interaction of kindred spirits.

“The exhibition will not only reunite the Aka Circle after a 19-year hiatus but will also show the new artistic directions its members have taken since their last gathering.” Onwuegbucha said. Among his aims in curating the exhibition is “to capture the sense of community Anatsui enjoyed in Nigeria and highlight some of the artists who stimulated him intellectually and artistically. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the cross-fertilization of ideas between artists in post-war Eastern Nigeria and how African artists have continually pushed the boundaries of artistic exploration in response to the postcolonial condition.”

On November 3, 2024, Okeke-Agulu will present the public lecture “Community and the Individual Talent: El Anatsui and the Aka Circle of Artists” at Wheatbaker Hotel, Rufkatu Room, 4 Lawrence Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.