Exhibition: Olaolu Slawn makes statement with “BOBO” in Lagos

By Nehru Odeh

British-Nigerian artist, Olaolu Slawn has made a statement with the opening of BOBO, his debut landmark, homecoming exhibition at Nahous, in Lagos. What with the electric response from the Lagos art and creative community on its debut.

The exhibition, which marks Shawn’s largest presentation in Nigeria till date, and a pivotal return to origin after years of global recognition, opened on December 22. It is expected to run through till February 1, 2026.

Infused with both wit and an unexpected quietude, BOBO brings together a new body of work that balances Slawn’s signature playfulness and provocation, while revealing a deeper internal landscape with a more intimate exploration of themes such as memory, identity, and belonging.

The opening drew a wide cross-section of Lagos’ creative community, unfolding as both an exhibition and a cultural moment. The creative community included artists, curators, collectors, musicians, skaters, writers, and long-time admirers of Slawn’s practice.

The atmosphere was charged, unfolding as equal parts exhibition, reunion, and cultural moment, a celebration of an artist returning not for nostalgia, but for clarity, context, and confrontation.

A homecoming in every sense, BOBO, titled after Slawn’s native name, centres the return of an artist who has created, performed, and provoked across continents. Bringing together a selection of new works, this exhibition revisits the soil, rhythm, and irreverent humour that shaped him.

It is not a retrospective; it is a reclamation. A gathering of fragments from a life lived publicly, online and off, filtered through global recognition and an ever-expanding creative identity.

Infused with both wit and an unexpected quietude, the works in BOBO reflect Slawn’s signature playfulness while revealing a deeper internal landscape: themes of memory, distance, belonging, and the boy behind the myth.

Here, the tension between performance and sincerity becomes vivid; canvases, gestures, and sculptural forms that feel immediate yet introspective, bold yet disarmingly tender.

“Nahous is a space built for contemporary Nigerian creativity in its fullest expression; layered, bold, and unafraid,” said Richard Vedelago, founder of Nahous. “BOBO embodies that spirit. It’s raw, reflective, and deeply rooted in the place that shaped Slawn long before the global spotlight.”

By situating BOBO within the historically resonant halls of Nahous, the exhibition reinforces the institution’s mission to host artistic voices that challenge and expand the cultural landscape. For Slawn, it marks a pivotal moment; a return, a grounding, and a reclaiming of the name and place where the story began.

About Nahous

Nahous is Lagos’ most dynamic cultural destination, a living laboratory where art, design, fashion, gastronomy, and conversation converge. Rooted in the architectural heritage of the 1977 FESTAC World Festival of Arts & Culture, it bridges Nigeria’s past achievements with the future of African creativity. Inspired by the Bauhaus philosophy, Nahous reimagines the cultural institution as a collective experience, a space that cultivates imagination, inquiry, and collaboration across disciplines.

More than a venue, Nahous is a movement that attracts Nigeria’s leading cultural voices, tastemakers, and innovators. From its rotating exhibitions and creative residencies to its social and culinary anchors; Bar 77, Apartment 90, and Nkarne, Nahous is shaping cultural memory while amplifying Africa’s creative future on the global stage.