There is palpable excitement within the Lagos art scene and beyond as the Shyllon Museum is set for unveiling next month.
The project is the brainchild of frontline art collector, Omooba Yemisi Shyllon, who is set to redefine the art ecosystem when the multi-million dollar Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art officially opens to the public in March 2020.
This is even as the celebrated art collector recently disclosed in an interview that developing the culture of a country leads to the development of the entire country.
“When you develop your culture you are developing your country. Culture and art are absolutely crucial to the health of a nation” he stated.
The 1,200-square-meter museum, designed by Spanish-Nigerian architect, Jesse Castellote, is characterized by a cubic-shaped red concrete façade and is home to around 1,200 artworks, 1,000 of which were donated by Shyllon. Through the new museum which will be operated by and under the ownership of the Pan-Atlantic University, Shyllon aims to secure his legacy and offer his art to both local and global audience.
Shyllon further revealed that he hoped that the Museum would go a long way in being a catalyst for art promotion in Nigeria.
“I want this museum to be a catalyst for art in Nigeria. Lagos is the epicenter of the art industry in Nigeria. I want this museum to help the children and their education and the outreach of Nigeria in the future as well as the tourism industry of the country” he reveals.
Over the past 40 years, the 67-year-old prince has acquired around 7,000 artworks in addition to over 55,000 photographic works documenting Nigeria’s many cultural festivals, now on the verge of extinction.
The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art will also complement an already exciting art ecosystem in Lagos, which is thriving. The megacity is home to a host of art galleries; an annual contemporary art fair, Art X Lagos; the auction house, Arthouse Contemporary; the LagosPhoto Festival and much more.