Ola Art Gallery opened its doors on Monday, September 4th, 2023, for the launch of a week-long exhibition titled “Night Time Series.”
The exhibition, which runs until Sunday, September 10th, brings together the works of three Nigerian photographers Ibukun Oparinu, Chinwendu Chidi, and Olaniyi Oyeyemi Atolagbe, each offering a unique perspective on city life after dark.
Through the timeless medium of black and white photography, the three artists explored how night transforms urban environments, uncovering both the quiet intimacy and the vibrant energy that emerge when the sun goes down. Oparinu’s series, Night Time in Bodija, takes viewers to Ibadan’s famous Bodija district, where night markets, fruit sellers, and roadside stalls glow under lanterns and bare bulbs, painting a portrait of resilience and community spirit.
Chidi’s work, Night Time in Ikeja, captures Lagos’ bustling mainland commercial hub long after official working hours, presenting neon lights, late-night vendors, and an endless rhythm of the cars and public buses that confirms Ikeja as a city that never sleeps. Atolagbe, in his series Night Time in Bariga, focuses on one of Lagos’ oldest communities, using sparse streetlights and dim corners to highlight the poetic resilience of everyday people navigating their lives after dark. One of Atolagbe’s striking images is that of the middle of a street and lightning in the sky. The banners hanging on the street gates are blown by the wind warning of the appearance of rain.
The curatorial team behind the exhibition emphasized that the aim of Night Time Series was not only to spotlight the overlooked beauty of Nigerian cities at night but also to demonstrate the enduring power of black and white photography. Visitors moving through the gallery encountered images of lively markets, quiet roadways punctuated by moving headlights, and ordinary shopfronts transformed by the glow of night lamps.
For one week, Ola Art Gallery has become a window into the hidden rhythms of the night. The exhibition is more than a celebration of photography; it is also a tribute to the Nigerian cities and communities that thrive under the cover of darkness.
