In the mid to late 1950s, the wave of independence swept across West Africa, and along with it, a search for new meaning for its freshly created nation-states. At the same time, in the region’s built environment,took root, reinterpreted to adapt to the climate; and by the 1960s, it had become the poster image of independence and Pan-Africanism .
The National Theatre featured on stage in a Grammy performance by award-winning Nigerian singer and songwriter Burna Boy. The building's stained glass murals highlighted in the performance were done by a collection of artists, including Yusuf Grillo and Erahbor Emokpae. The latter worked closely with the architects and was commissioned to make the friezes that adorn the lower parapet of the theatre.
The rooftop of the Old Barclays Bank building and the Shell building in Lagos, designed by Walker, Harwood and Cranswick, and Design Group Nigeria, respectively, have also played host to a plethora of artists seeking the incredible concrete architecture of Lagos Marina and its impressive brise-soleils for their backdrop to craft a sense place. Through these acts, the artists reclaim these sites from abandonment and activate them, setting a precedent and a call to action.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inboxTodd Gray’s sculptural photography collages defy dimension, linearity and narrative