معرفی
Professor Adepeju Layiwola is a distinguished academic and practicing artist at the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos. She serves as President of the Art Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA) in the USA and maintains active international collaborations through residencies like the Bayreuth Academy fellowship.
Her research centers on Benin Kingdom historiography, cultural restitution, and textile traditions. Key interests include:
- Advocacy for repatriation of looted Benin artifacts
- Contemporary art interventions in colonial memory
- Evolution of Nigerian textile design (particularly adire resist-dyeing)
- Gender dynamics in African art production
Her recent curatorial projects RESIST! The Art of Resistance (2020-2022) and I Miss You (2022-) at Cologne's Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum examine restitution debates through contemporary art. Publication trends reveal consistent focus on Benin's material culture, transcultural dialogues in African art, and feminist reclamation of women artists' narratives.
Major recognitions include:
- Lagos Studies Association Distinguished Scholar's Award (2021)
- Tyson Scholar at Crystal Bridges Museum (2019)
- Terra Foundation Grant (2018)
- SSA Cultural Exchange Grant (2021)
She directs MasterArtClasses and the Women and Youth Art Foundation in Lagos while conducting archival research on Ulli Beier and Jean Kennedy's contributions to Nigerian art history. Current projects address Germany's repatriation of 1,000+ Benin artifacts and digital ethics in museum restitution practices.
