Ecobank, Soto Gallery launch art fair to empower budding artists

Ecobank, the Pan-African bank, has joined forces with Soto Gallery, a Lagos-based contemporary art centre, to launch an art fair for emerging Nigerian artists.

The exhibition, titled ‘+234Art’, is scheduled to run for 10 days — from March 22 to March 31 — at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC).

In a statement on Thursday, Bolaji Lawal, Ecobank’s managing director, said the fair symbolises the bank’s commitment to fostering the local art industry and propelling talented artists towards international success.

“The fair is dedicated to nurturing and uplifting the burgeoning art industry in Nigeria by providing a platform to support emerging artists and encourage increased interest in art acquisition, thereby contributing to the growth and prosperity of the local art sector and its international recognition,” he said.

Speaking on the partnership’s purpose, Tola Akerele, founder of Soto Gallery, said it allows for a wider reach and will enable them to offer valuable skills development workshops for the participating artists.

“Partnering with Ecobank allows us to really ramp up the number of artists we have worked with, which is truly amazing,” she said.

‘Because through the platform, a lot of people are seeing their work, including those attending all the workshops and panel discussions.

“In the art space where we have fairs, which are great, but this is for young, emerging artists – artists that are not really signed up to galleries.

“Working with artists and giving them the skills to make them better is really important. Our values are very much aligned with Ecobank’s, I think that is why it works so well.”

The partnership comes months after the bank commissioned its creative space ‘Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) Studios’ in September 2023.

Soto Gallery was established in 2018 with the mission of fostering a culture of art appreciation.