From July 9-26, 2026, the Nigerian visual art circle witnessed a seeming exhibition-of-the-year as one of its own rolled out creative drums for art.
For 17 days, Yusuf Durodola, a visual artist and lecturer, presented ‘New Gaze’, his solo exhibition, which drew high-profile viewership at the Ground Floor, Belgian Residence, 54 Mississippi Street, Maitama, Abuja, where it held.
Hosted by Pieter Leenknegt, Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria and curated by Katurag Chinyio, New Gaze featured about 17 paintings by Durodola, who doubles as the founder of Artegun Foundation.
The featured works, including Behind the Veil, The Journey Within, Moment of Reflection, Gaze Beyond Confinement, What the Shadow Holds?, Meditation, Ay?ka, Beauty Within, and Sisi Oge, collectively examine the spaces between appearance and essence. They invite the viewers to question what lies beyond the physical, reminding them that true beauty, identity, wisdom, and purpose often exist beyond immediate visibility.
Meanwhile, the body of work investigates the invisible dimensions of human existence.
Through portraiture, abstraction, and cartographic interventions, each painting becomes a visual conversation about identity, memory, character, beauty, dreams, meditation, reflection, and the unseen journeys that define our lives. The works further challenge the tendency to judge by appearances alone and encourage viewers to discover the realities hidden beneath the visible surface.
Built on the understanding that while the eyes allow us to see, it is perception that enables us to negotiate the presence of our reality, the exhibition explores the ability to perceive, which is one of the most profound capacities of humanity.
Exploring further on the context, the artist explained that, ‘Every moment of our lives is filtered through perception, as we interpret people, places, experiences, and even ourselves through an invisible dialogue between sight, memory, imagination, emotion, and consciousness’.
He noted that the exhibition invites viewers to move beyond simply looking and begin the deeper act of truly seeing.
According to him, New Gaze offers a new perspective on art catalogue design.
It is one exhibition that pushes one not to settle for the conventional, but rather reimagine how art is documented, presented, and experienced.
‘It is not just a catalogue or a magazine. It is CATOMAG, a creative fusion of the art catalogue and magazine, designed to give a fresh visual and reading experience’.
Explaining the technicality of his works, Durodola noted that the creative process behind the paintings unfolds in three interconnected stages as every work begins with an abstract foundation where spontaneous gestures, layered colours, textures, and expressive movements establish an emotional landscape.
The first stage, according to him, represents the invisible terrain of thought and intuition, where ideas exist before they assume recognizable form, while the abstraction becomes the psychological space from which every visual narrative is born.
The second stage introduces the figurative image. ‘Rather than imposing the portrait upon the canvas, the figure gradually emerges from within the abstract environment, reflecting the way human identity develops through accumulated experiences rather than outward appearance alone,’ he explained.
‘Interwoven cartographic elements transform the portraits into maps of human existence, symbolizing the invisible routes travelled by the mind through memory, imagination, purpose, aspiration, and self-discovery. Every individual carries an internal geography that cannot be seen by the eye but is revealed through lived experience’.
The final stage, he noted, is one of detailing and refinement, with every highlight, contour, texture, and subtle intervention strengthens the dialogue between abstraction and representation. ‘The details do not merely complete the painting; they reveal its philosophy.
‘Just as perception becomes clearer through continuous reflection, the artwork reaches its fullest expression through careful observation and thoughtful execution’.
However, the heart of New Gaze, according to the artist, lies the belief that perception is the mind’s navigational tool in negotiating the presence of our reality. ‘Reality is never experienced through sight alone,’ he insisted. ‘It is shaped by our memories, beliefs, emotions, culture, and imagination’.
With the above, Durodola assured that every viewer that entered the exhibition carry a unique perspective, and every encounter with a painting becomes a personal negotiation between what is seen and what is understood.
He is also passing salient messages with the solo exhibition: Slow down, suspend assumptions, and cultivate a deeper awareness of the invisible realities that define our humanity.
Recalling the exciting opening, Durodola noted that New Gaze was met with an overwhelming response and remarkable attendance as the exhibition brought together captains of the visual arts industry, distinguished artists, curators, gallerists, collectors, diplomats, academics, cultural stakeholders, art lovers, students, members of the press, and patrons of contemporary African art.
‘Their presence transformed the opening into a vibrant platform for intellectual engagement, artistic exchange, and meaningful conversations on perception, identity, and the future of contemporary visual practice,’ he enthused.
Of course, the impressive turnout reflects the growing significance of art as a catalyst for cultural dialogue and social reflection.
But credit goes to Pieter Leenknegt, Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, for graciously hosting the exhibition and for his unwavering commitment to promoting cultural diplomacy through the arts.
‘I also extend my profound gratitude to Katurag Chinyio, whose curatorial vision and thoughtful engagement helped shape this exhibition into a compelling visual and philosophical experience.
My sincere thanks go to every collector, gallerist, curator, artist, journalist, photographer, art enthusiast, friend, and supporter whose presence and encouragement contributed to the remarkable success of this exhibition,’ the grateful Durodola said.
For those who saw the exhibition, New Gaze is truly more than a collection of paintings; it is a proposition for a new way of seeing.
As Durodola puts it, ‘It reminds us that beyond every face is a story, beyond every gesture is an intention, beyond every map is a journey, and beyond every visible reality lies an invisible world waiting to be discovered’.
Well, Durodola’s wish came to pass as every visitor left the exhibition not only with memories of the artworks but with a transformed perception, one that embraces curiosity, reflection, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the human experience.
With New Gaze, the artist sees art differently, presents it differently, and urges viewers to also see, read and experience art differently.