Over a three year period, I fostered links between a private NGO- Omooba Yemisi Shyllon Foundation and the University of Lagos in training over 1000 … - Peju Layiwola

History has always held a fascination for me and has greatly defined the trajectory of my art. I have conducted two major exhibition projects that draw on the archives. One directly refers to the sack of Benin by British invaders in 1897 titled, “Benin 1897.com” (2010) and the other, a public art project, “Whose Centenary?” (2014) was inspired by the history of the amalgamation of the southern and northern protectorates of Nigeria. In both historical situations, Benin seems to be the location of the activation.

One major community project we have been involved with is the U.S. State Department Hillary Clinton Smartpower project grant, which hosted a California based artist, Brett Cook in Nigeria. The Women and Youth Art Foundation, in partnership with the Bronx Museum of Arts, New York, in supervising the artist’s project under this grant. Brett Cook, an African American, worked with university students from different faculties in making the iconic mural at the University of Lagos titled, “Nurturing Peace, People, and Ideas”.

So we have these artifacts standing in our stead and showing that we had a very rich tradition that is enviable.