National Gallery of Modern Art

The National Gallery of Modern Art, Lagos (NGMA) is a major art gallery located in Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria. It serves as a permanent exhibition space for the National Gallery of Art, which operates as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation. The institution plays a significant role in preserving and showcasing the trajectory of Nigerian visual culture, from historical portraiture and traditional textile arts to contemporary abstract painting and modern sculpture.

The gallery functions as the permanent exhibition arm of the National Gallery of Art, a parastatal organization under the oversight of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation. While the specific founding date of the gallery is not documented in available records, its establishment is intrinsically linked to the broader mission of the National Gallery of Art to manage and exhibit the country's national art collection.

The collection is organized into eight distinct sections: the Portrait Gallery, Works of the Masters and other Nigerian Artists, Sculptures, Ceramics, Foreign Art, Modern Nigerian Art Movements and styles, glass painting, and Nigerian textiles. The gallery's scope emphasizes the evolution of Nigerian art, illustrating how modern sculpture maintains formal continuity with earlier traditions like the Nok culture, while shedding ritual and mystical functions. The textile section specifically highlights how modern textile art draws on the rich traditions of the Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Edo peoples, frequently utilizing traditional symbols, colors, and patterns drawn from folklore.

The Portrait Gallery features both modern and earlier portraits of prominent figures, including all Nigerian Heads of State, as well as notable artists and intellectuals such as Aina Onabolu, Chief Hubert Ogunde, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Professor Ben Enwonwu. The masters section holds works by Akinola Lasekan, Erhabor Emokpae, Professor Solomon Wangboje, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Haig David West, and Gani Odutokun. The contemporary art showcase on the upper level includes colorful abstract canvases by Bruce Onobrakpeya and bronze busts by Ben Osawe. The institution also holds foreign artwork from friendly nations.

The gallery is housed within the National Arts Theatre in Lagos, accessible via Entrance B. It occupies two floors situated below the huge auditorium of the theater. The upper level is dedicated to the contemporary art showcase, and the facility also includes a bookshop and a library for visitors.

The National Gallery of Modern Art is located in Lagos, Nigeria, inside the National Arts Theatre at Entrance B. It operates as a permanent exhibition venue of the National Gallery of Art, a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation. Further information regarding the institution is accessible through the National Gallery of Art website.