Lagos' first street art festival turns city into 'open-air gallery'

Toyin Adedokun / AFP via Getty Images Two men walk past a brightly colored mural of a woman wearing sunglasses holding a globe. There is a tanker and a bus on both sides

Parts of Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, have been turned into “open-air galleries,” in the words of organizers of the city’s first street art festival.

“We believe art should not be limited to galleries and museums,” Nigerian graffiti artist Osa Okunkpolor, one of the festival’s founders and nicknamed “Osa Seven,” told Reuters.

“Public art allows people to interact with creativity in everyday settings. It’s about giving hope and showing what art can contribute to shaping society.”

Sodiq Adelakun/REUTERS Cars and motorcycles drive past a mural that shows a man and woman, both wearing green headdresses and sunglasses, looking at each other as a couple dances between them.

The artwork is displayed on Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, a busy street on Victoria Island in the city centre.

Toyin Adedokun / AFP via Getty Images Several brightly colored murals can be seen on a wall next to a busy road filled with parked cars. A crane and a tower can be seen in the distance. Behind the wall are trees and a stretch of apartments.

Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters A man stands in front of a mural showing a pair of binoculars with a yellow outline on a black background and the words: We are alive

Although Lagos is known for its vibrant arts scene, nightlife, and creativity, street art is relatively unknown.

“Compared to other African countries, the visibility is not too high,” painter Ernest Ibe told AFP.

“So, it’s a challenge, but the country is evolving. We’re starting to understand the impact of social murals and how it impacts our society and the environment as a whole.”