This year's special extension of the ART X ICON exhibition, The Masterclass spotlights emerging talents in dialogue with the legacy of an African legend.

Ladi Kwali learned hand-built pottery within a Gbari lineage of women who passed down technique, form, and ornament from mother to daughter, aunt to niece. In 1954, she joined the Pottery Training Centre in Abuja (now Suleja) as its first female student. There, she adopted wheel-throwing, glazing, and high-temperature kiln firing—applying these new methods to the traditional forms she already knew and continued to build by hand.

What was once a household object became an internationally recognised work of art, exhibited and demonstrated across Europe and the United States. Today, she remains the only woman featured on Nigerian currency.

What makes Kwali an enduring influence for artists across disciplines is not simply the clay. It is her ethos: she took what was already before her and gave it a second life beyond its intended design, entering spaces that had not been built for her without compromising her practice.

The Icon Masterclass channels that spirit to:

• Extend this way of seeing across every visual medium—painting, photography, film and video, sculpture, textiles, performance, digital art, installation, and ceramics.
• Foster critical public dialogue between historic legacy and contemporary practice.
• Place ten emerging artists in direct conversation with key figures shaping today’s art ecosystem.

The ART X ICON: Masterclass is sponsored by Zenith Bank.

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Image credit: Kande Ushafa. Courtesy of Legacy Arts Foundation (LAF)

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Masterclass Elements

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The Masterclass runs across two days of the fair. Selected artists attend both.

DAY 1 - "Meet the Artist" - Saturday Nov 7th November

• Screening of the 30-minute documentary on Ladi Kwali, directed by Dr. Jareh Das
• An ART X Talk featuring a panel discussion on Ladi Kwali (Open to the public as part of the main talks programme)

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DAY 2 - “Reinventing the Form ” - Sunday 8th November

• A guided walkthrough of the exhibition ART X ICON — Ladi Kwali: Beyond the Vessel led by the curator
• Practice presentations by participating cohort artists
• An intimate Masterclass session with Ngozi Omeje-Ezema expanding artistic practice and developing new ways of seeing

Note on Day 2: This session is private and exclusive to the selected cohort, running for up to three hours. It centers on critical thinking, conceptual disruption, and ways of seeing rather than technical ceramic training. Participants are not required to work in clay, and no practical or studio work is involved.

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Eligibility & Entry Requirements

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The Masterclass is open to visual artists who meet the following requirements:

• Discipline: Practice across any visual art discipline, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, digital arts, photography, moving image, installation, textiles, or performance.
• Location & Travel: Live and work in Nigeria, with availability to attend in person in Lagos on 7 and 8 November 2026 (artists arrange their own travel; a transport stipend is provided).
• Age: Be at least 24 years old (aged 23 or older as of 1 January 2026).
• Experience: Demonstrate a minimum of 5 years of active artistic practice supported by a portfolio.

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How to enter:

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Social Media Participation

1. Post on Instagram: Share a carousel of up to 3 images or video stills of your work.
2. Tag & Hashtag: Tag @ARTXLagos and include #ARTXICON and #ARTXICONMasterclass in your caption.
3. Submit the Application Form: Complete the official form via the link in our bio/Stories to finalize your entry.

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Application Details and Deadlines

• Application Window: Opens Monday, 5 October 2026 and closes Monday, 26 October 2026 at 23:59 WAT. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
• Participation Honorarium: All 10 selected artists will receive an honorarium for their participation. To receive the grant, artists must hold or open a Zenith Bank account.

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What You Will Need for the Form

• Full name, email address, location, and nationality
• Instagram handle and age verification (under 30)
• Primary artistic medium
• Short bio (maximum 150 words)
• Artist statement (maximum 150 words) on how your practice engages with your immediate surroundings and remakes them in dialogue with Ladi Kwali’s legacy of disruption
• 3 artwork images or video stills with captions/details

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APPLY HERE

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