By Osa Mbonu-Amadi

BoConcept, the international furniture company, joins forces this month with Nomadic Art Gallery to present an exhibition titled “Art meets Design”.

The exhibition runs from 16th September to 7th October 2023 at 37a Adetokunbo Ademola crescent, Wuse 2, FCT Abuja, featuring works by contemporary Nigerian artists like Oluwaferanmi Okeowo, Joe Abdallah, Anny Robert and Jessicah Yakno-Abasi Ene.

The innovative “Art meets Design” concept was conceived by Charlotte Obidairo of BoConcept when the Danish furniture company first entered the Nigerian market in 2014. “Some customers were expressing concerns about how the contemporary furniture might work with African art in their homes. They were having difficulties in visualizing the mixing of the genres. I decided to provide the forum for addressing exactly that during month long exhibitions with local artists dubbed “Art meets Design,” Obidairo explains.

The now tried and tested concept is rolled out across BoConcept stores in Africa.This month’s exhibition in Abuja is brought to life in collaboration with Nomadic Art Gallery, a Lagos-based gallery representing contemporary African artists across the continent.

For Gallery Director, Mercy Imiegha, it is a match made in heaven. “Art and design go hand in hand. Some say good design is largely about skills, while good art is largely about talent, which is partly true,” she says. “But both good design and good art are about making an impression and getting a reaction. That is what we are hoping to achieve with the Art meets Design Abuja edition”.

The exhibition in Abuja showcases artworks in spaces simulating a home setting. The art is intentionally curated to accentuate the design and functionality of the modern urban furniture and vice-versa. All items – furniture and art – on display are for sale.

Since 2016, Nomadic Art Gallery has been on a mission to provide African art and artists on the continent and in diaspora a strong voice and visibility in Africa and beyond, pioneering what NAG refers to as “the Afrobeat of Contemporary Art”. The non-conformist gallery has for years collaborated with BoConcept Africa, showcasing African art in the company of Scandinavian designs, highlighting the complementarity of the two distinct aesthetics.

“Art meets Design” exhibitions have held in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Nairobi.