The Undiscovered Series is an annual art exhibition showing across Nigeria that seeks to reaffirm the future of Nigerian art. Hosted by the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, it is being held across the gallery’s branches in Lagos, Abuja, Edo and Delta States.
Above: Adetiloye O. Jekami, curator | Photo credit: Adetiloye O. Jekami
Adetiloye Oluwatosin Jekami proposed the idea of The Undiscovered Series to provide a platform for debuting emerging artists and to gain more visibility for established artists in Nigeria and beyond. In 2023, The Undiscovered Series was launched at the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Lagos branch, with a group exhibition of five emerging artists. That same year, ten other artists displayed their pieces at a group exhibition in the Abuja branch.
Jekami began his curatorial journey in 2020. Before that, he was an art writer and critic for Arteasy Nigeria. Over the course of his journey, he has worked with more than 200 visual artists across both group and solo exhibitions. The New Heritage (2025), held in Lagos earlier this year, is one of his landmark group exhibitions, while Babalola Lawson: The New Me (2024), a solo exhibition featuring Osogbo-art-influenced artist Lawson’s works, held at the Thought Pyramid Art Centre in Lagos, Benin City and Abuja, stands as another recent curation.
Above: Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị, artist | Photo credit: Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị
Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị, an exhibiting artist at Undiscovered Abuja 3.0, is an alumnus of Nsukka Art School, Enugu, Nigeria. His interest in art as a child was fostered by his immediate environment (the University of Nigeria, Nsukka), where his father was employed. His professional art practice started in 2023 under the tutelage of Chijioke Onuora, an artist and lecturer known for his use of uli. Ifeanyi’s pieces reflect his passion to preserve the Igbo culture and heritage, especially as his grandmother was a famous uli artist.
I spoke to Adetiloye Jekami about his role as national programs director for Thought Pyramid Art Centre and the 2025 Undiscovered Series art exhibitions. I also interviewed, courtesy of Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị on his debut in the Abuja art scene.
Rejoice Anodo (RA): Do you have other roles aside from being a curator?
Adetiloye Jekami (AJ): Yes. Beyond curating the art, I actively maintain several interconnected roles within the art ecosystem. I am still very much an art writer and critic, a practice that grounds my art curatorial eye and sharpens my engagement with both artists and audiences. I also have a deep passion for editing exhibition catalogues, ensuring that the written and visual storytelling surrounding artworks is as compelling as the works themselves.
In many of the projects I undertake, my role extends naturally into that of an exhibition director. This is a position that allows me to shape not only the curatorial selection but also the broader content, design and audience engagement strategies. This involves overseeing visual communication, guiding marketing approaches and ensuring that every art exhibition aligns with the mission and vision of the presenting institution or gallery. My decision to step into exhibition direction arose from an experience where I once witnessed how the absence of strong leadership and communication hindered the curatorial outcomes of an exhibition I was put in charge of planning. Taking on this role ensures that curatorial intent and organizational direction remain in harmony.
Additionally, I work as an idea consultant, advising visual artists and galleries with creative insights and strategies designed to achieve impactful outcomes. These capacities—curator, exhibition director, art writer/critic and idea consultant—are inseparable in my practice. They converge in every project I lead, allowing me to craft holistic art exhibitions and experiences. I believe this integrated approach is what has distinguished me in a relatively short time and has led to the many opportunities I have received from artists and galleries across Nigeria.
Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị | Sisters I | 20 x 24 inches | oil paint on canvas | 2025 | Photo credit: Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị
RA: What inspired the creation of Undiscovered Abuja? Is this a personal initiative?
AJ: Undiscovered Abuja is part of The Undiscovered Series by Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Nigeria. It is an idea I conceived and proposed in my capacity as the gallery’s national programs director. The project was born from a desire to offer Thought Pyramid’s prestigious platform to deserving visual artists who, despite their talent, remain underrecognized in Nigeria’s highly competitive art ecosystem.
From the outset, we were deliberate about not making Undiscovered a competition, which is the conventional route for projects of this kind. Instead, we envisioned it as a professional presentation of emerging artists, an exhibition model that would not only spotlight their practice but also serve as a springboard into the wider Nigerian and global art scene. The aim was to break the barriers of access that often favor artists with strong industry connections, while excluding equally talented voices.
The very name, The Undiscovered Series, embodies the mission: to reveal new artistic voices and introduce them to vibrant art cities like Abuja. For instance, in Undiscovered Abuja 3.0, 90% of the participating artists are exhibiting in Abuja for the first time, and all are presenting with Thought Pyramid Art Centre Abuja for the first time. This reflects the essence of the series: expanding visibility and opportunity for artists at pivotal moments in their careers.
Another key inspiration was the recognition that Nigeria is brimming with exceptional visual artists, yet the number of platforms available to present their work remains limited. While Thought Pyramid already runs initiatives to support artists, it became clear that more avenues were needed to meet the demand. The Undiscovered Series emerged as a response to this reality and continues to evolve as the Nigerian art industry grows into a dynamic hub of global significance.
Part of the motivation came from observing that galleries often circulate the same pool of artists, which in turn limits collectors’ access to fresh voices. With its motto “venturing into uncharted artistic territories,” The Undiscovered Series has been designed to challenge that cycle. It encourages the presentation of works that a traditional gallery like Thought Pyramid might once have overlooked, thereby expanding both artistic and collecting horizons.
Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị | Sisters II | 48 x 36 inches | oil paint on canvas | 2025 | Photo credit: Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị
RA: Can you share a brief timeline of the progress The Undiscovered Series has made from inception up to now? Do you have plans for expansion?
AJ: The Undiscovered Series by Thought Pyramid Art Centre was inaugurated in 2023 at the gallery’s Lagos branch, featuring the works of five promising artists. Later that same year, the series expanded to Abuja, where ten artists were presented, affirming its relevance as a national platform for emerging voices.
In 2024, the series broke new ground with its debut in Benin City, Edo State, alongside recurring editions in both Lagos and Abuja. This marked a significant milestone, as Undiscovered Benin transformed the standard of exhibitions within the city. Prior to its arrival, Benin’s art landscape had limited exposure to professionally staged, high-caliber presentations. The exhibition’s success in drawing unprecedented audiences also catalyzed renewed energy in the city’s art scene, demonstrating that Benin could host art exhibitions on par with Lagos and Abuja. What was once perceived as a challenging location quickly became one of the series’ most rewarding successes, and this momentum has inspired the continuation of Undiscovered Benin 2.0.
Before this 2025 edition in Abuja, the series had already exhibited the works of 58 artists across photography, digital art, abstraction, sculpture and traditional painting. Beyond group showcases, it has also served as a launchpad for further opportunities with participating artists, such as the duo exhibition Emotional Layers of Existence by Courage Opara and Nebolisa Kelly at Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja, in 2024.
The Undiscovered Series has thus grown not only as a curatorial project but as a cultural template: setting new standards for art exhibitions in art cities, especially underrepresented locations, expanding opportunities for deserving artists and offering collectors access to fresh and vital perspectives within the ever-evolving Nigerian art ecosystem.
Rather than focusing on artists who are “barely known,” I prefer to describe them as deserving emerging or fast-rising artists, voices whose work merits broader recognition. For now, the series has been anchored within Thought Pyramid’s branches across Nigeria, but there is a clear vision for growth. In time, The Undiscovered Series will expand into other states, particularly those with minimal art activity, in order to nurture vibrant ecosystems where they are least expected.
The Undiscovered Series by Thought Pyramid Art Centre was conceived as a platform to shine light on the vast well of visual art talent across Nigeria, and it has since grown into one of Thought Pyramid Art Centre’s most intentional projects. From Thought Pyramid Art Centre Lagos to Abuja and now Benin, The Undiscovered Series has not only introduced the public to emerging artists but has also led the gallery itself into remarkable discoveries: artists working in non-traditional mediums, new approaches to storytelling, and fresh perspectives that continue to deepen our collectors’ understanding and experience of visual art.
RA: What criteria do you employ while selecting artists for The Undiscovered Series, especially Undiscovered Abuja 3.0?
AJ: The foremost criterion is the strength of the work itself. It must demonstrate both technical rigor and conceptual depth. Beyond that, we look for artists whose practices bring something fresh and yet-to-be-unraveled to the conversation, voices that expand the boundaries of how art is being made and experienced today.
For Undiscovered Abuja 3.0 specifically, a key factor was geographic novelty: we prioritized artists who had never exhibited in Abuja before. This ensures that the series not only introduces new talent but also introduces new perspectives to the city’s audiences, reinforcing the core mission of The Undiscovered Series: to spotlight deserving voices that have not yet been given such a stage.
Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị | Family Tree | 60 x 30 inches | oil paint on canvas | 2025 | Photo credit: Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị
RA: How did you hear about Undiscovered Abuja 3.0? What inspired you to submit your entry?
Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị (CI): I heard about the Undiscovered Abuja 3.0 group exhibition directly from the curator. I was attracted to press features about his previous work and struck up a conversation with him on Instagram. He assessed my portfolio, and later on, I received an invitation to exhibit at Undiscovered Abuja 3.0.
Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị | What If The Lower Lashes Were Longer? | 18 x 24 inches | oil paint on canvas | 2025 | Photo credit: Ụba Christopher Ịfeanyị
RA: What If The Lower Lashes Were Longer? What inspired this title?
CI: I thought about the lower lashes being longer and what it would mean for women. This is a metaphor for the challenges women face on a daily basis, which I have witnessed directly through my mother, sisters and friends. What if the lower lashes were longer? is my visual representation of a utopia for women where they are relieved of struggles.
RA: Is there a theme connecting all the accepted pieces on display?
AJ: Yes, there is a unifying theme guiding this year’s edition: Incoming Masters. The focus is on artists whose works already demonstrate the strength, vision and maturity to position them as the future masters of Nigerian art. The art exhibition serves as both a documentation and a proof: a way of recording these artists at this pivotal stage in their journey, offering evidence of their potential long before they are widely acknowledged as leading figures. In essence, The Undiscovered Series is not only about discovery in the present but also about archiving the seeds of mastery for the future.
RA: What do you want visitors to experience during the exhibition opening? Are there any particular emotions you aim to evoke?
AJ: The guiding emotion is what I call an “inquisitive emotion.” I want the exhibition to spark wonder, excitement, and above all, an openness to explore the unfamiliar. This sense of curiosity and discovery is at the heart of The Undiscovered Series. It is the driving force behind both the curation and the visitor’s experience.
The exhibition is designed to challenge perceptions, spark curiosity and expand their understanding of what Nigerian art can be. Ideally, the experience leaves them not just as spectators, but as participants in a journey of discovery: encountering fresh voices and works that shift their sense of the possible. I want visitors to embark on an adventure into uncharted artistic territories: to move beyond the familiar and step into the unknown.
With The Undiscovered Series, Jekami and the Thought Pyramid Art Centre aim to provide a platform for hardworking artists who deserve to be seen, heard and celebrated. The annual exhibitions will serve as a reminder to Nigerian artists that connections alone do not define opportunity.
Undiscovered Abuja 3.0 is open from Sept. 6-19 at the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja.
