The celebration, held from September 10 to 12, centred on Epignosis I: Our Story First, an exhibition that brought together the work of Gbolahan Ayoola and five artists from the inaugural Once Upon a Time (O.U.T) Residency. The exhibition formed part of Kokopelli Art Gallery’s fifth-anniversary programme and highlighted the gallery’s continued commitment to creating platforms for African artists and their stories.
The O.U.T Residency, the first programme of the Kokopelli Art Foundation, brought together five artists from Ethiopia, Ghana, Benin Republic and Nigeria for two weeks of studio practice, facilitated sessions, field research and mentorship. Each artist produced a resolved work for the closing exhibition, with the cohort becoming the Foundation’s inaugural group of OUTliers.
Speaking on the vision behind the residency, Dare Herald, Director, Kokopelli Art Gallery and Kokopelli Art Foundation, said: “African artists have never been short of talent or stories. What has been scarce is the infrastructure – the access, the mentorship, the opportunity – that allows those stories to become practices, careers and legacies. This residency is our contribution to building that.”
The resulting exhibition, Epignosis I: Our Story First, was structured as a “Call and Response” exhibition, pairing Gbolahan’s solo body of work with works created by the five residency artists. Drawing from African oral and musical traditions, the concept places two generations of artists in the same space and on equal terms, allowing each body of work to respond to and reshape the other.
The three-day programme opened with a private dinner on September 10, followed by a private viewing on September 11 and the public opening on September 12. The exhibition will run at Kokopelli Art Gallery, Ikoyi Lagos, until November 8, 2026.
For The Macallan, the partnership reflected a shared appreciation for the patience, precision and purpose behind exceptional creative work, while providing an opportunity to engage more deeply with Nigeria’s evolving arts and cultural landscape.
Hammed Adebiyi, Senior Brand Manager, West and Central Africa (WACA), Edrington Portfolio, said: “Mastery is built over time, through patience, dedication and a commitment to the process. At The Macallan, these values are central to how we approach our craft, and we see that same spirit in the artists and creative communities we support. Our partnership with Kokopelli Art Gallery is a celebration of that shared pursuit, creating a space where craftsmanship, creativity and meaningful stories can come together.”
Founded in Lagos in 2021, Kokopelli Art Gallery is dedicated to artists for whom storytelling serves as a discipline and form of knowledge. Its fifth-anniversary programme builds on this philosophy, with Epignosis exploring the power of stories to shape how people understand themselves, their communities and their histories.
The three-day celebration therefore served not only as a milestone for Kokopelli Art Gallery, but also as a platform for emerging African artists to present new work, engage with established practitioners and connect with a wider community of collectors, creatives and cultural audiences.