We Want To Change Abuja’s Narrative Through Art – Alonge

In a city often defined by strict geometry, political gravity, and bureaucracy, a new voice is calling for a cultural shift one brushstroke at a time.

Rennowned visual artist and creative entrepreneur, Bolaji Alonge, in collaboration with The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Abuja and Thought Pyramid Art Centre are set to host the ‘ICONIC ABUJA’ arts exhibition slated for 18 to 26 April, 2026, in Abuja.

Speaking at a press conference at the embassy in Abuja yesterday,Alonge said, “We want to change Abuja’s narrative through art, for too long, this city has been seen only as a place for power and politics. Visitors land, go to their meetings, and leave. They never experience the soul of Abuja. We are here to prove that art can soften the hard edges of this capital.”

Known for his platform Eyes of a Lagos Boy, Alonge’s work combines documentary precision with narrative depth, creating images that are both archival and immediate.

Also speaking, the embassy’s deputy spokesperson, Dorothea Wenzel, said, “A new visual narrative of Nigeria’s capital is about to unfold—one that moves beyond the familiar surfaces of architecture and planning to reveal the deeper, more complex realities of the city and the people who shape it.”

She added that the event,is a major contemporary art exhibition led by Alonge, in collaboration with German photographer Katharina Sasse and thirteen Nigerian artists working across photography, painting, and mixed media.

She noted that Sasse’s participation brings an important international dimension to the project, reflecting a cross-cultural dialogue that resonates strongly with Abuja’s own global character.

Reflecting on her experience of the city, Sasse notes that “Abuja doesn’t reveal itself all at once. It lives in moments—in gestures, in encounters, in the rhythm of everyday life.

“My work is about holding on to those fleeting fragments, because that’s where the true character of a city exists,” she said.

The participating artists—John Ali, Bolaji Alonge, Ahmad Michael, Aisha Mbaya, Mustapha Musa, Dan Ogbogu, Yemi Olapo, Olaosun Oluwapelumi, Babajide Olusanya, Oluwaseun Otokiti, Austin Orakwelu, Katharina Sasse, Olanrewaju Shittu, Moses Sodipo, and Christabel Uchechi—bring together a wide range of practices and perspectives, each engaging with Abuja through distinct thematic and visual approaches.