Olawunmi Banjo unveils artwork at British Airways’ renovated lounge in Lagos

Olawunmi Banjo, the Nigerian visual artist, has unveiled one of her artworks at the British Airways renovated lounge at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. 

British Airways recently opened a newly renovated lounge at the Lagos airport after revamping the unit for six months.

The airline said the space was designed to allow customers to enjoy a more robust aesthetic experience.

BA added that the newly renovated space is designed to provide “an upgraded dining, relaxation, and working experience”. The room spans 360 square metres and is structured to meet customers’ needs.

Banjo, a canvas painter whose work was displayed at the lounge, said ‘The Wait’, her paint, represents “a time to reflect on our personal journey”.

She described the artwork as an opportunity for people to “see possibilities of new beginnings beyond their waiting period”.

“The work on display is titled ‘The Wait’. And it is actually a series. It talks about how many of us have gone through different experiences in life by waiting sometimes. Some of us will be anxious about the wait. Some of us will try to reflect on our journey, how far we have come, and the possibilities of what lies ahead. My main purpose for the works is to make people reflect on the possibilities of new beginnings while they wait,” she said.

“This relates to so many things. It is not about waiting for a flight at the lounge. It could be something personal to you. It could be going through an experience that you want something to happen to you but you do not know when it is going to happen. It could be anxious sometimes, but it should not be what we should be focused on. We should use the waiting period to reflect on how far we have come in life and the possibilities of things that lie ahead.

“I have been an artist for more than 18 years now. The significance is to bring awareness to people through art. To make them know that it is not just about the aesthetic value. We want them to know that there are so many things to art. I get inspired by nature, personal experience, experience of other people.”

On his part, Calum Laming, British Airways’ chief customer officer, said: “We’re focused on investing in the entire customer journey, not just on board. For many of our customers, lounges are an important part of their experience, and the re-design of our Lagos lounge is a key part of our transformation strategy across our lounges around the world”.

“We’re delighted to open our doors to this stunning lounge in Lagos and we’re confident customers will enjoy spending time in this cleverly created space.”