MADS Kigali Unveils ‘Eko Akete: Fragments of a Living City’, A Captivating Solo Photography Exhibition by Funmilayo Kayode

MADS Kigali is proud to announce Eko Akete: Fragments of a Living City, a highly anticipated solo exhibition by acclaimed fine art photographer Funmilayo Kayode. Running from March 2 to March 30, 2023, the exhibition presents a powerful body of visual work that explores the architectural, social, and spiritual layers of Lagos, Nigeria.

Moving away from the conventional media tropes that often reduce Lagos to mere chaotic spectacle or surface-level hustle, Kayode’s camera offers a deeply nuanced and formally intelligent study of the city. Through her lens, Lagos is revealed as a complex, living cultural organism constantly navigating the delicate lines between survival, memory, and renewal.

Eko Akete: Fragments of a Living City brings together a meticulously curated selection of photographs focusing on the intersections of everyday urban life, public symbolism, commercial landscapes, and inherited cultural narratives. Kayode captures the quiet undercurrents of a metropolis in motion—examining how historical architecture stands its ground against rapid corporate expansion, and how ordinary spaces hold the traces of human labour and domestic resilience.

The exhibition layout at MADS Kigali has been deliberately designed to challenge the viewer’s perception of space. By juxtaposing the high-octane density of the subject matter with the serene, contemplative quietness of the gallery environment, the installation heightens the emotional and psychological weight of each photograph. Visitors are invited not simply to look at Lagos from a distance, but to actively read the structural contradictions and intimate histories embedded within its surfaces.

“Funmilayo Kayode’s work stands apart because of its profound restraint and refusal to sentimentalise,” says the curatorial team at MADS Kigali. “She allows the infrastructure, the light, and the quiet spaces of the city to perform their own stories. Eko Akete is a masterclass in fine art portraiture of a place, showing that even amidst relentless acceleration, a city’s soul remains anchored by what has passed through it.”

The exhibition offers an unforgettable visual journey for art collectors, photography enthusiasts, and cultural practitioners across East Africa and beyond.

About the Artist: Funmilayo Kayode is a contemporary fine art photographer whose practice deeply interrogates the relationships between identity, architecture, place, and ordinary human presence. Her work has been exhibited in leading contemporary art spaces across Africa, earning critical acclaim for its formal precision, atmospheric depth, and sophisticated documentation of African urban landscapes.

About MADS Kigali: MADS Kigali is a premier contemporary art space dedicated to promoting impactful visual arts and fostering creative dialogue within the region. By hosting groundbreaking exhibitions from both emerging and established African artists, MADS Kigali continues to position Rwanda as a vital hub for contemporary cultural exchange.