Fonb Collection Presents A Shared Gaze: Women, Art & Strength in Company
Yinka Olatunbosun
An intimate platform celebrating women in the arts and fostering creative and economic exchange for their practice held Lagos spellbound last Friday. During Lagos Art Week, the Fonb Collection hosted A Shared Gaze: Women, Art & Strength in Company on November 6. A private gathering of women in the arts and patrons, the invite-only event puts female artists at the centre, celebrating their vision and creating real opportunities for their practice to grow.
The evening had works by select female artists from the collection, giving guests the chance to meet the women behind the work, hear their stories first-hand, and engage with their practice in a relaxed, personal setting. Their voices are the heart of the gathering.
Two legends of Nigerian art, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Tola Wewe, shared words of wisdom. Their respective decades of painting, and storytelling have shaped Nigerian and African art, and their presence offered a bridge between established legacy and the women artists carrying the conversation forward.
The exhibition featured the work of Ysabella Olufon, a 15-year-old budding artist and the daughter of the collection’s founders. Her piece speaks to the spirit of the event: a new generation looking, learning, and finding its voice alongside women who have paved the way.
“A shared gaze is one of recognition and mutual regard,” the Fonb Collection said. “Between artist and viewer, mentor and emerging voice, collector and creator, we want to build a space where women’s work is seen, valued, and supported.”
Beyond celebration, A Shared Gaze is designed to facilitate creative and economic exchange. By bringing artists together with patrons and collectors, the Fonb Collection aims to open doors to new relationships, collaborations, and commissions that sustain women’s creative careers.
The Fonb Collection is a global private art collection committed to championing artists and nurturing meaningful connections between creators and patrons.
