Orry Shenjobi’s forthcoming exhibition in Ibadan asks how inherited ways of making can find a place in contemporary design. Àdúrà Lẹ́rẹ̀ is scheduled to open to the public at New Culture Studios on November 12. An October 27 interview with the Nigerian-British artist offers a closer look at the personal history behind the project before visitors encounter it for themselves.
Speaking to FAD Magazine’s Lee Sharrock, Shenjobi traces the work to her grandmother, her faith and her mixed family heritage. She describes researching Yoruba and Benin symbols after writing prayers, then developing those ideas through materials and carved forms. In her account, the meanings shaped the work from the beginning.
The people and ideas behind the work
Collaboration with carvers from Benin and Ibadan is central to that approach. Shenjobi describes traditional knowledge as something artists can continue to develop rather than leave untouched. For readers interested in craft, that gives the exhibition a useful question to follow: how do the skills and decisions of makers become part of the finished design?
TheArtHub’s October 26 preview places the exhibition within a Bamboo Dome and describes a combination of furniture, photography, bronze, stained glass and other elements. It also connects the project with Shenjobi’s February residency and research into Ibadan. These are accounts of the planned installation; this article is a preview, not a review of an exhibition already visited.
An exhibition built around gathering
The same announcement lists a planned run through May 12, 2027, alongside talks, readings, workshops and screenings. It identifies Anthony Ogochukwu Agbapuonwu as curator, assisted by Tobi Alexandra Falade. Individual programme dates will matter for anyone hoping to hear a discussion or take part in a workshop; the exhibition’s overall run does not establish a daily activity schedule.
The venue has its own place in Nigerian creative history. New Culture Studios describes its origins in Demas Nwoko’s Ibadan studio in 1967 and its continuing role as a working creative hub and archive. That background makes the setting relevant to a project about how knowledge passes between generations, rather than simply providing a room for display.
Planning a visit
TheArtHub lists appointment-only previews on November 7–9 and 11, followed by the November 12 public opening and a November 13 book signing. Confirm arrangements with the venue before travelling: its own visitor guidance says casual walk-ins are not permitted outside public programmes or organised tours. Ask about opening hours and photography rules, and leave time to look closely at materials, joins and carving as well as the overall installation.
