A Presentation of the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive, with a Discussion and Reading from Art on My Mind: Visual Politics by bell hooks
On 17th July 2026, G.A.S. Lagos hosted a Library Open Day and Book Reading, inviting visitors to explore the resources of the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive. The library was established in 2022 after John Picton, Emeritus Professor of African Art (University of London), and Sue Picton generously gifted their personal library to G.A.S. Since then, the collection has grown into a specialist resource dedicated to the visual arts of Sub-Saharan Africa and its diaspora.
The afternoon began with a welcome address by G.A.S. Executive Director Moni Aisida, who shared a brief history of the foundation and reflected on its role in strengthening Nigeria's contemporary arts ecosystem. She was then joined by Mr. Olufemi Akinsanya, founding patron of the G.A.S. Library, investment banker, chartered accountant, and art collector, for a conversation on the significance of public knowledge spaces and the inspiration behind his support of the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive.
Reflecting on his lifelong relationship with books, Mr. Akinsanya recalled his childhood, sharing how his grandmother nurtured his curiosity through storytelling and song traditions. These early experiences shaped his appreciation for knowledge and preservation, while also revealing the fragility of oral histories. He spoke about how elements of his own family's heritage, including his oríkì (Yoruba praise poetry), have been lost over time due to a lack of documentation. This, he explained, is one of the reasons he is committed to supporting institutions like G.A.S. that preserve, document, and make knowledge accessible for future generations.
The conversation concluded with a lively Q&A, where audience members raised thoughtful questions about the role of young cultural practitioners in preserving artistic and cultural legacies. Participants reflected on the importance of documenting histories through both oral and written forms, while also questioning whether written documentation alone continues to reflect colonial models of knowledge production. The discussion considered how African oral traditions and storytelling practices might be sustained alongside written archives.
Guests then took part in an interactive tour of the collection across the ground and first floors, led by Library Assistant Damilola Joseph. As they moved through the space, participants were introduced to the G.A.S. Reading Room, first unveiled during the 2025 Re:assemblages Symposium. They also explored the C& Cyclopedia Station, a physical station hosting the digital archive by Contemporary And (C&) that forms part of the Reading Room experience, offering access to over 11,000 texts in English, French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese on contemporary African and Afro-diasporic art.
The afternoon concluded with a reading and discussion of the opening chapter of Art on My Mind: Visual Politics by bell hooks, facilitated by Joseph and Maryam Muhammad, who joined G.A.S. last month for an eight-week internship through our partnership with Spelman College and the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective (AUC Collective). In the opening chapter, "Art on My Mind," bell recalls growing up in the segregated South, where art was dismissed by her family as impractical even as a white teacher encouraged her early talent. She reflects on why so many Black communities have historically related to art as peripheral rather than essential, tracing this to segregation-era schooling, the exclusion of art from Black liberation movements, and a lack of Black critics writing seriously about Black artists.
The reading sparked an engaging conversation on the politics of representation and the role art plays within Nigeria. What stood out most was the juxtaposition, seeing how relevant hooks's chapter still felt to the Nigerian context, even though it was written by a non-Nigerian, reflecting on a very specific African-American experience. The day ended with the introduction of the G.A.S. Library Club, a new initiative centred on reading groups, field trips, discussions, and other programmes designed to foster deeper engagement with the collection throughout the year.
Interested individuals are encouraged to register to access the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive and join the G.A.S. Library Club. Registered visitors with a confirmed appointment can visit on Wednesdays and Fridays between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm (WAT), for up to four hours per visit. Readers will be welcomed by G.A.S. Library Assistant, Damilola Joseph.
Event Details
Date: 17th July, 2026
Time: 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: 9b, Hakeem Dickson Drive, off T.F. Kuboye Road, Oniru, Lagos
About the Facilitators
Damilola Joseph
Damilola Joseph is the Library Assistant at G.A.S. Foundation, where he manages the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive. He is currently a final-year student at the University of Lagos, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Library Science. Prior to joining G.A.S., he gained management and hands-on experience at Ikoyi Club 1938, where he was involved in developing, organising, and classifying information materials within the club’s on-site library. He also holds a certification in Data Analytics, which supports his role in managing the digital catalogue of the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive’s publication materials. In addition, he has volunteered at inaugural lectures and book launches, further expanding his experience within academic and literary environments.
Maryam Muhammad
Maryam Muhammad is a rising junior at Spelman College, where she majors in Art History and minors in French. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she has a passion for African and African American art and fashion. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in the museum field through exhibition curation.
Photo of Maryam Muhammad.
Mr Olufemi Akinsanya
Mr Olufemi Akinsanya is an accomplished investment banker, chartered accountant, and art collector with over four decades of experience in Nigeria’s financial sector. He began his career at Arthur Andersen & Co. before joining First City Merchant Bank, where he rose to become General Manager and Head of Corporate Finance. In 1993, he founded Hamilton Hammer & Co. Ltd., a boutique investment banking firm, and United Securities Ltd., both of which he successfully divested in 2008. A pioneer in Nigeria’s capital market development, he played key roles in the demutualisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the establishment of the NASD OTC market. Mr. Akinsanya currently chairs NGX Regulation Ltd and serves as Trustee to several cultural and educational institutions, including MUSON and the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History. He is also a passionate supporter of the arts and collector of African art.
Photo of Mr Olufemi Akinsanya.
Maryam's Internship is generously supported by Spelman College and the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective (AUC Collective)
