Access Holdings and ART X Lagos Unveil Alumni Impact Award to Honour Trailblazing African Artists

 ART X Lagos, West Africa’s leading international art fair, proudly presented the Access ART X Prize Alumni Impact Award at its VIP Preview. This special award within the Access ART X Prize program celebrates the remarkable achievements of past winners who continue to innovate and shape the African art landscape. Since its inception in 2016, the Access ART X Prize has become one of Africa’s most prestigious platforms for emerging artists, championing creative excellence and cultivating a lasting impact on the global stage.

As a proud sponsor of the Access ART X Prize, Access Holdings has been instrumental in supporting sustainability in the African arts sphere, helping drive long-term positive change in the ecosystem. The Group’s partnership with ART X Lagos aligns with its vision of creating a vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape, highlighting the essential role of art in driving social progress and creativity across Africa.

In alignment with ART X Lagos’ 2024 theme, “Promised Lands,” the Alumni Impact Award reinforces the fair’s dedication to creating sustained artistic growth across the African continent. This year’s theme embodies a vision of hope, freedom, and new possibilities—an ideal backdrop for honouring the progress of past Prize winners whose influential contributions resonate both locally and globally. The Alumni Impact Award celebrates these artists’ journeys and the transformative power of their voices in shaping contemporary African art.

“The Access ART X Prize Alumni Impact Award embodies our pledge to supporting artists at every stage of their careers” said Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder of ART X Lagos. “By celebrating our past winners and recognizing their continued growth, we reaffirm ART X Lagos’ dedication to driving innovation, social engagement, and long-term impact within the African art community. Our hope is to inspire the next generation to pursue their creative journeys with the same passion and resilience.”

Since its launch, the Access ART X Prize has identified and elevated emerging talents in Nigeria and, more recently, expanded its reach to the African diaspora, widening its impact and scope. Each winner has not only made significant strides in their artistic practice but has also engaged with critical social issues and narratives shaping the continent today. This inaugural Alumni Impact Award honours one past winner whose artistic journey exemplifies the Prize’s mission of continuous growth and cultural resonance.

During the VIP Preview, Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc shared that,  “”At Access, we believe empowerment is the cornerstone of progress, and this belief extends well beyond the financial sector. By supporting ART X Lagos and initiatives like the Access ART X Prize, we seek to cultivate an enduring, dynamic art ecosystem across Africa, where creativity thrives, and cultural impact is amplified.”[Insert Quote] 

“This year, through the special Alumni Impact Award, we celebrate not only the outstanding achievements of past Access ART X Prize winners but also their dedication to bringing African narratives to the forefront of global conversations,” Ogbonna added. 

This year’s Alumni Impact Award was presented to Etinosa Yvonne, an artist whose work reflects boldness, creativity, and dedication to social discourse. Upon receiving the award at the ART X Lagos VIP Preview, the artist shared their gratitude, stating: “I am pleased to be the recipient of the Access ART X Prize Alumni Impact Award. The award shows that Access Holdings and ART X are genuinely interested and deeply committed to contributing and sustaining the growth and development of artists at any stage of their career. The Nigerian creative economy remains largely untapped. I strongly believe that this award will inspire and encourage public and private institutions in Nigeria to be more intentional about investing, participating and promoting not just Nigerian arts but Nigerian artists in order to bolster our creative economy.”

As ART X Lagos celebrates the journeys of its past winners, it acknowledges their collective impact and aims to inspire future generations of African artists to pursue excellence and social engagement. The remarkable achievements of these artists reinforce the strength of African creativity and its power to shape and define a globally relevant future.