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Mbari Kola
a unique and dynamic private members’ society and foundation which draws its membership from Nigeria’s art & culture-enthused community.
Mbari Kola resides in a beautiful, lovingly and purposefully designed house on a historic street in the heart of Ikoyi, set over two floors and totalling 800 square metres.
Mbari Kola welcomes members and the curious public, united in their passion and service towards the exaltation of arts and culture.
Mbari Kola exists to address the erosion of creating (vs consuming), beauty, culture, societal values, national ideals, nature, neighbourliness, and civility.
explore
vision
& mission
we facilitate the social interactions of those connected with, or interested in art, culture and creativity as conduits to wellness, civility and a revival of nationhood.
we are a haven for the (culturally) curious and evolved.
we place our members at the centre of a curated lifestyle and experience infused with the best of art and culture.
we empower all spheres of the arts and culture ecosystem by providing opportunities for education, engagement and deeper responsible patronage.
we are a net-giver (a quasi arts council & private ministry for art in Nigeria); identifying and enabling areas in the arts which require funding, support and development.
“people come to Mbari Kola to enjoy African contemporary and modern art and the worlds in between, through our open and private spaces which create opportunities for communal dialogue, learning and growth.
at Mbari Kola people become better, more curious, more civil and more responsible versions of themselves so that collectively the creative, economic and intellectual elite can be agents of developing and elevating culture, community and country.”
society offerings
- art exhibitions
- artist presentations
- private collection tours
- talks & seminars
- film screenings
- music concerts and recitals
- literary salons
- book readings
- curated experiences
- workshops
- artist & member residencies
- publications
design concept
“feet forward, eyes back”
in all its aspects Mbari Kola, is defined by an impetus for advancement, guided by the lessons of the past. accordingly the building’s design references the histories of the existing structure and the architecture of its locality as well as the design idioms of the traditional Mbari edifices, within the conceptual framework of an ever-evolving, experimental, multidisciplinary, ideas workshop, with a ‘tẹriba’ (bow) to the pioneers of creative coalescing - the Mbari Artists and Writers clubs in Oshogbo and Ibadan.
Mbari Kola, the place - to borrow the words of Fagan - is “…a temple dedicated to social intercourse and the interchange of ideas”. as such, its spaces are designed to not only be facilitators of trans-disciplinary improvisation, collaboration and awe but to also respond reciprocally to the people in it.
all of this in a refuge of comfortable luxury from the bustle of Lagos.
“we spend our days, each one of us, in looking for the secret of life. well, the secret of life is in art”
the house
the vestibule
the entry hallway is a portal that extracts you from the chaos of contemporary Lagos into the timeless refuge of the Mbari Kola house. here, a totem wall highlights the human pillars who have supported this institution.
the gallery (the sanctuary)
the gallery is designed as a ‘white box’, an efficient, multi-functional art presentation space that adapts to meet the requirements of the happenings it must contain.
the shop (Studio Ugoma lab)
all the objects members interact with at Mbari Kola are curated by Ugoma. every tactile experience at Mbari Kola is infused with the essence of Studio Ugoma. the lab is a dynamic and immersive retail space that allows members to take home a piece of the Mbari Kola experience.
the house
the lounge (the commons)
the engine of the house—this active and adaptable space is where members meet, gather and enjoy drinks, nibbles, conversation and music in an atmosphere of comfort and joy.
the terrace
a plant-filled, lagoon and garden facing outdoor extension of the commons.
the library & reading room
a crisp, book-lined room with a communal table, designed to encourage expansive thought, research and quiet collaboration.
the magic room
a state-of-the-art, multifunctional and modular space for talks, screenings, meetings, curated activations and technology-related gatherings.
“art is always for the future”