Penultimate week, the Alter Native Artists Initiative (A.N.A.I) a non-profit foundation for the promotion of visual art in Nigeria, opened its doors to the public in an intimate ceremony supported by Bottega Prosecco.

The foundation’s arts advocacy is practical in nature, taking the form of training, provision of infrastructure, and artists’ residency, whilst also facilitating the creation of new collaborations between creative practitioners and the local community. The foundation aspires to become a custodian of some longstanding creative and cultural industries and practices in Nigeria – especially ceramics.

It has set up a first-of-its-kind ceramics studio in the country in a bid to revive and develop the art of ceramics to a level compatible with international health and quality standards.

ANAI was founded by award-winning Nigerian visual artist, Peju Alatise.

The mission of ANAI is to create sustainable infrastructure that supports creative practitioners in Nigeria and to empower those actors within the larger community. The foundation seeks to fill existing gaps in formal visual arts education with practical training; build a bridge between local and international artists; facilitate artistic projects that involve the community, collaboratively, amongst others.

The opening ceremony had in attendance the cognoscenti of the visual art industry: established, mid-career and young artists, stakeholders, collectors, curators who took in the facilities and works on display by Peju Alatise in an open house session while being feted by Bottega Prosecco.

 

ANAI exists across two structures in a beachfront location, removed from the hustle and noise of Lagos city. The structures were in themselves were part of the creative displays on offer, designed by ace architect, Adeyemo Shokunbi.

The foundation will officially launch its artist development programmes in January 2018.