Gabriel Jideonwor on Building a Thriving Community for African Artists

In this edition of The Lane, he reflects on his journey as both an artist and gallerist, the evolution of Vivid Exclusive Art Gallery, and his passion for helping creatives discover themselves, grow their craft, gain global recognition, and thrive within a safe and nurturing space.

What inspired the creation of Vivid Exclusive art gallery, and how has that vision evolved over the years?

I started out as an artist. Back then, during my SIWES and IT program, I discovered that I had the privilege to teach some of the students around me. Something came up, and I gave myself a brand name with Vivid Art Nigeria or Vivid Art Gallery, something of that nature. As at then, I didn’t even have the gallery thing in mind, not until it came to my consciousness that I could still promote myself as an artist, and promote others. 

My lifestyle revolved around just three things – school, the art studio and church. I used to play the guitar too. I’m someone who loves working, hustling and finding something to do. I hate being idle or jobless. I started the gallery business in a studio somewhere in Ikorodu, we used to call the place Absalom concept, and it is still called that till now. By 2017, I had my first gallery on the island, and we officially opened on the 28th of July. I think it was around 36 square metres, I can’t forget. After a while, I realised that I needed to increase the number of artists under my practice. I started talking to more artists, and they were willing to help, support, or, be in the community, and that was how the gallery started. 

To God be the glory, the gallery has helped so many Nigerian artists, even those in diaspora and other African countries. In fact, it has helped even European artists, because at some point, I had to start the online exhibition, which is the most versatile and the fastest way to organise an exhibition. When I started with the online approach, I realised that I could do a collaboration between European artists and African artists, be it from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and this was exactly what  I did. I started with my own solo exhibition in that new space, and it was almost sold out. This gave me a lot of energy and determination that the gallery was going to be a success. 

My major inspiration was not just opening the gallery, but also helping artists to sell and get their name out there. This is because when I was growing as an artist, I discovered that I was struggling, jumping from one gallery to another. You get passed by some, you get insulted by some and at the end of the day, they still won’t buy your work. And the little money you have with you, you end up using it all for transportation. When you get back home, it’s either you are in tears, or you are just trying to hold on to the pain and the struggle. You know, after painting beautiful masterpieces, you end up selling them to some kind of collectors who will just buy them at peanut prices. That is not what I wanted for myself, and I told myself, “Okay, I don’t want to sell my pieces like this again.”

I knew that if I had a platform where I could help other artists, I would gladly help them to get their names out there, and by God’s grace, my gallery has helped a lot of artists online. Our major priority is to always try to groom our artists. Currently, we have a WhatsApp group of artists for almost 700 artists. It has both African and non-African artists, all of which are hosted by the gallery. Our major driving force is helping artists, especially African artists, grow and get their name out there. The joy is to see them being successful in their respective niches.

You’ve played a dual role, both as an artist and a gallerist. How has wearing both hats shaped the way you create, curate, support, and connect with other artists?

To be honest, it’s not been easy. Being an artist myself, it’s been quite demanding wrapping my head around concerts, compositions, references, selling for other artists and managing other aspects. Combining all of these things requires multitasking. You have to be versatile, especially in an economy that is not working at the moment or that has not been working for a long time. You just have to always find a way out. 

With our gallery still in its growing years, I do not yet have the kind of financial capacity that the much older galleries have, but, notwithstanding, to the best of my gallery’s capability, we try to use more of the social media space to promote our artists. We try our best to put most of our artists in some other promotions internationally, and that has been very helpful. It has helped most artists get their works outside Nigeria, to countries like Amsterdam, Japan and China.

What have been some of the most challenging moments in building and sustaining a physical gallery space?

Our major challenge is financial support and the inability to get support from banks and other companies. If there is money, there will be enough publications and advertisements, which will help get the artist into the limelight. 

There are other challenges, though, such as racking your head over write-ups, arrangements, or even trying to follow up with certain collectors to buy your artist’s works and all of the other intricacies of our job. So there are so many challenges, but the chief of all is financial support.

The art world can be intimidating, especially for young or emerging African artists. How does Vivid Exclusive work to break these barriers and create access?

Despite our financial capacity, social space is one thing that I’ve invested in, and I think that has been helping me for years. During my early years as a gallerist, I discovered that I kept posting, and there wasn’t much feedback. Just like when you start a business and you’re trying to post, it might be hard for friends and even family to support you in those early days. That year, I discovered that to get to the limelight, you need to do certain things oneself. That way, if I need to get my gallery, artists, stores, works, paintings,  sculptures and all other crafts into the limelight, I need to place them on certain platforms. Once I’m able to do that, it helps to get the desired attention online.

Once I cracked that code, we have been operating on it since then. We encourage our artists to show their work out there, and we do our best to pitch their craft too. One of the privileges our artists enjoy is that once we post them, a lot of galleries observe and start doing research on them, and before you know it, they start getting deals from collectors, especially when their work is good.

The pivot to online exhibitions has become necessary in today’s world. What has this transition been like for you and Vivid Exclusive?

Before pivoting online, it was quite challenging to push our artists because we didn’t have the resources to promote them widely. I took a survey of competitors in the gallery business and realised that while we lacked the money for big offline pushes, our strength could be built online. Now, with over 10,000 followers, the gallery has a solid online presence that we use to showcase and promote artists. 

I created a WhatsApp group where artists share recent works, receive comments, corrections, or encouragement. So far, it has proven to be a strong support system for our artists. Beyond that, I repost their works on the gallery’s page, which gives them exposure to galleries and collectors. One artist, for instance, had his paintings reposted, and within a week, a gallery that had ignored his portfolio for years reached out to him, and those works quickly went on consignment. This growth and connection simply weren’t possible before, but moving online has made it a reality for us and our artists.

Art galleries can reflect many things. What kind of themes are you most drawn to showcasing at Vivid Exclusive?

We work with several themes as long as it is educational, entertaining, and will pique people’s attention. Over the years, we’ve worked with several themes such as No Pain, No Gain (2022), Art is Wealth (2021), Murals by Vivid, Black is Gold, and Against All Odds, each exploring resilience, value, accessibility, identity, and triumph through art.

How important is community and collaboration within the Nigerian and global creative scene, and how has this shaped your gallery’s direction?

Community is very important, both locally and globally. Getting the right exposure has helped my gallery a lot, because for collectors and clients to notice you, you need the right visibility and the right people to support you. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with several incredible people. One of them is Nike Ogunlesi, who is like a mother to me. She has genuinely supported and encouraged my work. She was even a guest speaker at one of our exhibitions in Ogudu. That day, she cancelled another show, one she was actually paid for, just so she could be there for me. That kind of sacrifice is priceless. If someone of her stature can raise your show, then what else can people say about your art?

And it wasn’t about money with her. She supported me without taking a dime. Even the little souvenir we brought to appreciate her, she didn’t want to accept it. I had to insist, telling her it was just a small token of love from my house. That’s the kind of person she is, humble, supportive, and always giving. She’s more than just a mentor; she’s a global figure, someone who has helped the world appreciate Nigerian and African art on a deeper level. Working with people like her has shaped my journey, and over time, others have come to believe in my brand as well, because they see the work I’m doing not just for myself, but for other artists too. Helping artists grow has always been part of my mission, and with the support of people like her, we’ve been able to push that vision forward.

When curating new talents, what qualities or attributes do you look for?

We look for zealousness and consistency. Consistency is not just because you are getting it right. Consistency is whether you are getting it right, struggling, happy, or sad, you are there. No matter the inconvenience or circumstance, you are just always there. That is consistency, and it is the major quality collectors will want to look out for in any gallery or artist. They wouldn’t want to invest in an artist now and at the end of the day, not get enough value for their investment. 

They often invest because they want to buy your work and watch your growth. They’re also interested in you having a greater value when you finally get a bigger name in the art world. The reason why most of these thriving brands are still here today is that they are consistent.

What advice would you give to young artists who want to exhibit at Vivid Exclusive but feel unsure or unseen?

The advice is ‘be bold and ready’. When we say ‘be ready’, it means, no matter what you are feeling at the moment, like you might be scared of rejection, you just have to try. If you don’t try, you will be left in that same condition or in that same position. That’s why I like the slogan of Nike, ‘Just Do It’. If you do it, if you try it, you’ve made an attempt, and if you don’t make an attempt, you will just remain stagnant. Most artists these days just do this thing out of fashion. They do it just because of the crazy economy and to get quick money. Most of them don’t even know why they paint. So that’s why, in our group, I’ve helped so many of them to find their niche. 

Any artist who wants to join my community or my gallery should be free, and rest assured, we will guide them. Our major aim is to help artists at all levels, and so far, we’ve been doing our best to achieve that. Right now, I have at least about 10 of them in my team now and I’m still helping to guide their artistic statements and portfolio, so that when international opportunities come, they won’t look like they are not ready. So we always prepare all of them for these kinds of opportunities. We create attention, awareness, and information on how to prepare so that once an opportunity comes or when an expert comes, and they call for entry, you’d know what to send and how to go about it.

Our pride is that our gallery is one of the best when it comes to helping emerging artists. Most of them are self-taught artists, and that’s where it gets very interesting. They are not like those who actually studied art in school. So we teach them design and some theoretical part of art, so that they can understand the craft better. All artists, especially upcoming artists, are free to join the community.

Of all your creative or professional endeavours, which is your favourite or most recent piece of work, and what makes it particularly meaningful to you?

I think it’ll be difficult for me to choose any. I’m not sure I can really point to just one painting and crown it a favourite. It’s like when you eat a particular meal, and in that moment, you’re the only one saying, “Wow, this food is so sweet.” Then a few hours later, you eat another meal and you’re like, “Wait, this one is even sweeter, more tasty, and yummy than the last.” That’s how it feels with my work. 

You keep coming across beautiful pieces, and the ones you once thought were your absolute favourite start to feel like just a step toward something greater. Like they say, the beautiful ones are yet to be born. So honestly, I can’t say I have one favourite painting. If I told you I did, it would be a lie. I love almost all my works, but not all of them, of course. Because sometimes, just like with food, you cook something not because you’re inspired but because you have to, and even though you made it, it’s not your best. Painting is like that, too. So no, I can’t pick one out. I love my paintings, but maybe not all at the same level.

Looking back, what’s the single most impactful piece of advice you’ve ever received, and how do you apply it or share it with others today?

I’ll never forget the first person who really changed my art career and my mentality, a lady who represented me in Amsterdam. She worked with me for about five years, and honestly, she really shaped my career. Even though she didn’t sell a lot of my works, the few she did weren’t the main thing; the real value was how she moulded my direction. At that time, I loved painting reality. But, like most young artists, I had a lot of ego. Especially when people know you’re good, it’s hard to accept corrections. Many artists struggle with that, and I was no different. That’s why I said she changed my life; she didn’t just represent me, she reshaped the way I thought.

Back then, I painted realism. But the kind of realism I was doing wasn’t what the art market wanted or what she could sell. She sat me down and told me straight: “If you really want to work with me, you can’t keep painting this way. You need to drop this style and find yourself”.  At the time, I hated hearing that. I was young, stubborn, and attached to my work. But those words, “find yourself”, stayed with me. And she was right. In the art world, just like fashion, there are seasons, and certain types of art dominate at certain times. She showed me examples, gave me references, and pushed me to carve out my own niche instead of just imitating realism. It wasn’t easy. I had been painting in one style for years, and suddenly I had to reinvent myself. But I took her advice, and it paid off.

Eventually, that shift opened doors I never imagined. I was able to exhibit alongside legends, Pablo Picasso, Banksy, and others. I even exhibited in Menton, France, with some of the top names in the world. If you listed the top ten artists globally, I stood in shows with at least five of them. When the juries accepted my work, I remember reading one email that said: “Your work is beautiful, fantastic. It carries so much strength, it looks like a Basquiat style.” That moment showed me how powerful it can be to listen to corrections.

So, the biggest lesson I carry is this: it’s always good to listen. Corrections don’t kill your talent; they refine it. They helped me, and now I try to help other artists find themselves, too, because I know exactly how hard that journey can be.

Looking ahead, what’s your dream for Vivid Exclusive over the next five years?

My dream right now is to have a physical community, and not just a gallery. I want to create a space that feels more than the regular four walls, something like a foundation. A place where artists can grow, where there’s a sense of family. The idea is to provide opportunities for artists free of charge, no payments, no fees. It won’t be for everyone; it will be for those who are serious about their craft. If someone isn’t committed, they won’t last in that space. That’s how I work with my people. If you’re serious, I’ll pour my energy into you, but if you’re not, I won’t waste my time. Energy is an asset, and if I’m investing in you, it should also show that you’re investing in yourself.

I imagine a gallery space that can hold five to ten thousand artworks, with hostels around it where we can train and mentor artists, helping them grow into champions, masters, and independent creators who can support themselves and their families. Think about how Nigeria celebrates its athletes, the women winning WAFCON, and the basketball teams dominating. Those victories bring pride to the nation. I dream of building the same culture for artists, a group of Nigerian artists winning international awards, putting our name on the global stage, and making even the president proud.

Of course, this requires funding; it’s a financial dream as much as it is a creative one, but I know it will happen. Maybe within five years, maybe sooner. More than just a dream, it’s a movement. It’s a movement that can lift artists out of poverty, give them platforms, and connect them with patrons and collectors from all over the world. I see expatriates and art lovers visiting Nigeria, walking into this gallery, discovering new talents, and taking them to international exhibitions. Once ten, twenty, or even a hundred artists begin to thrive, others will be inspired to join the community. And that’s how it grows.

The main priority is simple: helping people rise. Because you also rise by lifting others.

The Lane is a journey and process-focused interview series with emerging voices in Africa’s culture ecosystem. You can also share your story by contacting us today.