News

Exhibitions & News

From Tower Bridge to Lagos — the Aworan collection and my wider work have been shown in galleries across the UK and Nigeria, and celebrated by international media.

Now Showing · 27 July — 26 September 2026

Summer Exhibition 2026 — Stables Theatre & Arts Centre

The Bourne, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3BD

Showing Sanctuary of Nature in the Summer Exhibition at the Stables Theatre & Arts Centre — a 1746 stable block saved from demolition and opened as a theatre by Sir Ralph Richardson in 1959. Gallery open Monday–Saturday, 10.30am–1pm. Free admission. Read the story behind the work → · View the gallery ↗

Now Showing · 3 — 8 August 2026

BAFA 2026 — Bradford African Festival of Arts

University of Bradford · 1 Richmond Road, Bradford BD7 1DP

Exhibiting Sanctuary of Nature at the Bradford African Festival of Arts, themed Nkosoo — the Akan word for advancement. Six days of African arts and culture supported by Arts Council England. Read the story behind the work → · View the BAFA gallery ↗

Sanctuary of Nature — showing at BAFA 2026 Bradford
Now Showing · 18 June — 1 August 2026

RBSA Summer Show Exhibition

Group Exhibition · United Kingdom

Selected for the RBSA Summer Show with Iya Laje — "mother of the home" in Yoruba — a portrait of heritage, motherhood and spiritual authority, reviewed by Independent Nigeria as "an archive of inheritance and the spiritual anchor of the home." Read the review ↗ · View the exhibition gallery ↗ · Buy prints ↗

RBSA Exhibition — gallery cover
April 2026

Creative Visionary of the Year 2025/26

Global Reputation Forum · London

Named Creative Visionary of the Year by the Global Reputation Forum and Reputation Poll, presented by the Lord Mayor of Westminster at a ceremony attended by three-time Grammy winner Wouter Kellerman, the Mayor of Islington and global media leaders. Read the full story ↗

John Lekan receiving the Creative Visionary of the Year award in London
March 2025

Aworan — Solo Exhibition at Atirera Gallery

Atirera Gallery · Lagos, Nigeria

A homecoming solo showcase of the Aworan collection. The exhibition saw In Thought acquired by a private collector — the collection's first sale — and was accompanied by a media tour including TVC's Wake Up Nigeria, Silverbird and Hot FM Lagos.

Lagos exhibition poster featuring John Olalekan Durojaye
Opened Friday 12 January · 6pm — 9pm

Dreams & Nightmares — 2nd Edition, Boomer Gallery

Boomer Gallery · 150 Tooley Street, SE1 2TU · Tower Bridge, London

Two works — Sanctuary of Nature and Stillness in the Storm — selected for the gallery's Dreams & Nightmares exhibition in the Tower Bridge district, chosen alongside 200 artists from a pool of over 2,000 international submissions. Read my journey to this exhibition ↗

Sanctuary of Nature framed on the wall at Boomer Gallery, London
2018 — Present

The Aworan Journey

Worldwide

Aworan began as a personal record of travels around the world — from the Thames to the Eiffel Tower, from studio compositions to real-life moments. The collection continues to grow, one frame at a time. Aworan 2.0 is coming soon to Nigeria.

Interested in hosting an exhibition or featuring the work?

Get in Touch