I have hung the same collection on walls in both cities. London selected two of my works from 2,000 international submissions; Lagos gave Aworan a solo show, a television tour and my first collector. Neither city is better. They are different instruments, and an African artist should learn to play both.
The audience relationship
London audiences arrive trained by institutions — they read the statement, keep respectful distance, buy quietly through the gallery. Lagos audiences arrive as participants — they interrogate the work, debate it with you, celebrate it loudly, and when they buy, it is personal. In Thought sold in Lagos precisely because the collector and I stood in front of it together; that story is in my guide to selling your first art print.
Press works differently
In Lagos, one exhibition became appearances on TVC's Wake Up Nigeria, Silverbird and Hot FM within a single week — broadcast media embraces artists as cultural news. London press is slower and more gatekept, but international in reach. Both matter; both are archived on press and awards.
Money and pricing
- London: higher price ceilings, higher costs (framing, transport, fees), gallery commissions of 30–50 percent.
- Lagos: a fast-growing collector class that values direct relationships; price in context, and remember that undervaluing your work at home undermines it everywhere.
Logistics honesty
Shipping framed work between the two cities is expensive and nerve-testing. Print locally in each city where possible — test your printer months ahead. My pre-show routine is the same on both continents: the full exhibition preparation checklist applies anywhere on earth.
Nigerian creatives in the diaspora are Africa's best ambassadors — the bridge is the work itself.
Play the long game in both
My path — London group show, Lagos solo, UK summer shows, then a London award presented by the Lord Mayor of Westminster — only makes sense as one story across two cities. The whole timeline is on my exhibitions page. Build a presence at home and abroad simultaneously; each validates the other. And if you're planning a cross-continental practice, get in touch — I mentor emerging artists on exactly this, alongside photography classes at Camera Boss.
Work with me. For fine-art prints and exhibition enquiries, contact me here. For weddings, editorial and lifestyle photography across the UK and Nigeria, visit CameraBoss.co.uk.