Hi METAL! I am the founder of DADA Gallery and I recently launched DADA Magazine.

DADA is my last name so it only felt natural to use it for my work too. I think it’s cool that the name also has various meanings across different cultures. In Yoruba, the name is used to refer to children born with locs. Dada is also famously the name of a leftist art movement that represented a rejection of conventional ideals. I think the name carries a lot of radical energy which I think feels relevant to the gallery’s mission.

Yes Lagos has most definitely served as a muse for my work. It’s where I started putting on shows and I’d say it’s where most of my community is. A lot of the work I do now is shaped by my experiences being born and raised there. There is so much incredible energy and talent coming out of the city which serves as a source of constant inspiration for me.

I speak about this in my editor’s letter in Issue 1 of the magazine. I wanted to create a publication that had Black artists and Black art as the core focus. There are not many publications committed to doing this and I wanted to contribute to closing that gap by highlighting some important contemporary voices in the scene. I also wanted to do more beyond the gallery’s four walls and I think a magazine is a great way to do some experimentation and engage with audiences across the spectrum, especially younger people who need help demystifying the art world. The idea is to make the art world more accessible, especially for those typically marginalised in the scene.

Yes I want to continue using technology and digital experimentation to connect with audiences across the board. I think it’s a great way of reducing the barriers to entry into the art world as galleries without permanent physical spaces are also able to participate. It also widens the amount of audiences that can engage as you don’t have to physically attend an exhibition to enjoy the works and discover new artists.

It hasn’t been intimidating to do this as I think it is important to speak about these topics. I think we all have a collective responsibility to speak up about pertinent issues in our society and thankfully I think the wider art world is starting to catch up. I think by virtue of working with young artists, the themes and issues that are relevant to them will always be relevant to DADA because their voices are at the core of DADA’s work.

I think there is still a dearth of spaces for Black creatives in the diaspora. Being Nigerian and having engaged with various creative communities across Africa, living in London makes it clear that there isn’t as much representation here. My hope is that Black artists are able to feel like part of a global art community and there are no limits to entry and participation for them.

I don’t have a creative upbringing. A lot of it has been self learnt and self taught. In secondary school I realised I could draw but I never really saw a career in art as a viable choice due to my upbringing. Whilst at university in London, I would go to different exhibitions and volunteer at art fairs just to gain some experience in the art world. This led to me starting a blog where I would write about the art I was seeing and the books I was reading, all mainly related to Africa. This is how my interest in the arts flourished.

I think there is an onus on gallerists and curators with influence to uplift underrepresented voices and create space for marginalised artists. This is the only way we can create a fair and equitable system for all.

I currently work with some interesting artists such as Bunmi Agusto, Cameron Ugbodu, Samson Bakare, Okiki Akinfe and Djibril Drame.

Yes I think it does as it provided me with a broader perspective and it has shaped the way I see the world and interact with different people.

2023 is set to be an exciting year. I am looking forward to putting on some exciting exhibitions and working on Issue 2 of DADA Magazine. You can expect to see some exciting collaborations with artists and brands that align with our vision.