Artstier

19/05/2026

"In this conversation with Eyes of a Lagos Boy, Obi Nwaegbe speaks about the realities of the Nigerian art market, the importance of storytelling and professional structure, the misconceptions surrounding artistic success, and why he believes creative education in Africa must evolve beyond technique alone.

For many emerging Nigerian artists, talent alone is not enough. Navigating the realities of visibility, professional practice, collectors, galleries, and sustainability often remains one of the biggest challenges in building a lasting creative career. Abuja-based artist, curator, and cultural entrepreneur Obi Nwaegbe believes that gap is exactly where meaningful mentorship should begin.

Through painting, mixed-media assemblage, installation, and cultural programming, Obi has built a multidisciplinary practice centered on memory, identity, resilience, and social transformation. As Founder and Executive Director of Artstier Company Limited, operating across Abuja and Lagos, his work extends beyond the studio into education, mentorship, and human development initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s creative ecosystem.

A graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka with further studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Federal University of Lafia, Obi’s growing international profile includes exhibitions and speaking engagements spanning Miami to Cambridge.

But beyond exhibitions and accolades, his latest initiative — The Artist’s Path Masterclass — may be one of his most ambitious projects yet: a practice-oriented mentorship platform designed to equip artists with the professional tools rarely taught in traditional art education."

- Bolaji Alonge, Renowned Photographer & Environmental Activist

https://eyesofalagosboy.com/2026/05/19/artist-path-masterclass-building-sustainable-creative-careers/

In this conversation with Eyes of a Lagos Boy, Obi Nwaegbe speaks about the realities of the Nigerian art market, … More

26/04/2026

Welcome to The Artist's Path 2.0. 😃💥

Are you an amateur artist, a starting out professional, or a mid-career practitioner hoping to upscale your practice by reinventing yourself? Are you a professional in some other field with a burning desire to reignite your artistic flare long abandoned to face the practical challenges of everyday living? Do you want to take structural steps towards not just creating, but making profit off your paintings, as a way of finally living out your dream and earning additional income?

Then, this programme is for you! 🥂💥

Join us as we embark on the 2026 round of tutorials and mentorship exercises from some of the most seasoned and most experienced players in the art industry locally and internationally. This programme offers over a dozen courses on how you can create art that meets market expectations. You can also establish your professional integrity through a set of processes from the point of production to where it meets the buyer. Please note: Our facilitators are field professionals that teach from their own practical experiences. 💥

Take aways:

a. Studio setup and how to build work in series
b. The art of storytelling in pictures
c. Inventory and record keeping
d. Curating, cataloging and presentation
e. Finding the right clients and building a collecting network
f. Learning the language of gallery engagement

Interested? Click on the link below to register....

https://forms.gle/dTDAqPSTxtU6bJfp9

Early Birds registration currently available. You can also contact us on Whatsapp @ 07086217063 for any further inquiries.

08/03/2026

Happy International women's Day from Artstier! 🌹

25/12/2025

Season's Greetings from all of us at Artstier!! 💐🎁🌲

23/12/2025

The Saturday painting session was an absolute blast and only fulfilled the long held notion that things get better with consistency and time...

22/12/2025

The Artstier live drawing session, facilitated by Nigerian Contemporary artist Sor Sen, was a successful start of in-studio events for the Artstier Art Week.

It was also the first drawing class of the Art Week category designed for only professional and aspiring professionals in the field.

Photography: Udie Undie & Abayi Austin

17/12/2025

ARTSTIER ART WEEK MOVIE & DOCUMENTARY & REVIEW

Movie Title: GETTING TO KNOW - MARK BRADFORD

Venue: Artstier Studios

This documentary offers an engaging introduction to the life, work, and artistic vision of American contemporary artist Mark Bradford. Widely recognized for his monumental abstract paintings and socially charged multimedia practice, Bradford transforms everyday materials—from street posters and paper ephemera to tools and signage from his native Los Angeles—into richly layered works that resonate far beyond the gallery walls.

Born in 1961 and raised in South Los Angeles, Bradford’s unconventional path to art began in his mother’s hair salon and led him to earn both a BFA and MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. His signature technique involves building up layers of paper and found materials which he then sands, carves, and reworks to reveal textured, map-like surfaces that reflect complex narratives of community, identity, and social structures.

The documentary weaves interviews, artwork, and insights into Bradford’s creative process, showing how his abstract language bridges personal history with broader cultural and political themes. Whether addressing issues of race, urban life, or collective memory, Bradford’s work challenges viewers to look deeper—turning abstraction into a powerful form of storytelling and social engagement.

Participation is Free!

Interested persons should register at undie.artstier .com

16/12/2025

It is here again!! 🙂🍾💥

You are all invited to our annual Professional Drawing Class anchored by contemporary Nigerian artist Sor Sen. As usual, it promises to be an exciting day of sketches grit & fun.

We have materials for you to work with, but you can come with your preferred mediums nevertheless.

Participation files free! Artstier Studios, 10.00am, tomorrow! 🥳🎉

14/12/2025

Meet the Moderator!

Geraldine Chiamaka Uba is a cultural programmes strategist, project manager, and operations executive whose work spans the creative industries, media, and development-focused initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Public Relations from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and has an international educational background shaped by studies in Malaysia, Thailand, and Switzerland. This global exposure informs her interdisciplinary approach to programme design, stakeholder engagement, and cultural production.

She is the Programmes Director of Artstier Company Limited, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the organisation’s exhibitions, educational initiatives, and public-facing art programmes. In this capacity, she has participated in and supported several significant projects, including Inspired Visions by Obi Nwaegbe at Moeshen Gallery, Abuja; Roots of Resilience at the University of Cambridge; The Artist’s Path, a professional masterclass programme for creatives; and the EcoSmart Creatives Workshop for Secondary School Students, delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and the Secondary Schools Education Board in Abuja. Her work at Artstier reflects a sustained interest in art as a tool for learning, civic engagement, and social resilience.

Beyond the arts, Geraldine brings over fifteen years of experience in operations management, business development, and project delivery across media, technology, and corporate sectors. She previously held senior roles at Folio Media Group, where she led large-scale cultural, media, and special projects, including nationally recognised platforms such as the Miss Nigeria Pageant.

Geraldine’s practice is defined by strategic clarity, administrative rigour, and a commitment to building sustainable structures that enable artists, institutions, and communities to thrive.

13/12/2025

Meet the Artist!

Obi Nwaegbe is a Nigerian artist, curator, writer, and cultural entrepreneur whose multidisciplinary practice reimagines memory, identity, and social resilience. Working across painting, mixed-media assemblage, and installation, he transforms everyday materials into textured visual narratives that interrogate cultural transformation and environmental consciousness.

Obi is the Founder and Executive Director of Artstier Company Limited, operating in Abuja and Lagos. Born and trained at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he earned his BA in Fine Arts (Painting, 2004), followed by a Certificate in Architectural Imagination from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (2020), and an M.F.A. in Painting (2025) from the Federal University of Lafia.

In 2023, he exhibited at the ID Art Lab in Miami (Art Connection Foundation) in “Sensitive Content,” an exhibition on gender violence. Obi was also Distinguished Guest Artist & Speaker at the Roots of Resilience Conference in Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge (March 2025). He is a grantee of the Ford Foundation West Africa and works closely with the German Centre for Migration & Development, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and other relevant agencies on Human Development Projects.

11/12/2025

MEET THE ARTIST!

Amarachi Okafor is a contemporary Nigerian artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, painting, public art, and curatorial research. As the Founder and Leader of Orie Studio, she maintains a full-time studio practice while developing systemised art databases and archival tools that support individuals and institutions in strengthening art education across Africa. Her work consistently explores cultural production, civic engagement, and the social life of objects and spaces.

Okafor’s academic foundation is rooted in the renowned University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she earned a BA (Hons) in Painting (2002) and an MFA in Sculpture (2006), programmes that shaped her exploration of materiality, process, and artistic independence. She went on to complete an MA in Curatorial Practice at Falmouth University, UK (2012), deepening her expertise in exhibition research, curatorial models, and professional practice with a focus on contemporary African art. In 2017, she received a professional development scholarship from Klein Artists Works, Chicago, further consolidating her international artistic perspectives.

Her exhibition history reflects a dynamic and sustained presence across Nigeria, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Major solo exhibitions include Europe at Financial Times, Babel Art Gallery, Trondheim, Announcing Beauty, Mercy, Kindness and Love (Red Door Gallery, Lagos, 2022); The Colour of Our Hearts Is the Colour of Our City (CCA Lagos, 2021; Thought Pyramid, Abuja, 2020); and socially engaged public art projects such as I Am the Light (Abuja, 2019) and I Learnt This (Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 2015).

Okafor has participated in notable group exhibitions worldwide, including Westbund Art & Design (Shanghai, 2025), All the Images Will Disappear (ShanghART, Shanghai, 2024), Krisis (Gallerie delle Prigioni, Italy, 2023), We Face Forward (Manchester Art Gallery, UK, 2012), and FIAC Algiers (2009). Her work has also featured in multiple National Gallery of Art (Nigeria) exhibitions.

With numerous awards, residencies, and published projects, Amarachi Okafor remains an influential voice in contemporary African art, merging rigorous studio practice with curatorial innovation and community-based engagement.