Sculptures and mixed media work on display
The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA), Pan-Atlantic University, has opened a compelling
new show, titled, Tracing Forms: The Art of Making, inviting audiences to look beyond finished artworks and into the processes that bring them to life. The exhibition, which opened to the public on March 1, 2026, explores the act of creation across painting, sculpture, ceramics, digital media, and experimental picture-making within contemporary Nigerian art practice.
At its core, Tracing Forms asserts a simple yet profound idea: art begins with making. Through brush and pigment, carving and casting, clay and fire, lens and software, fabric and layered surfaces, artists transform materials into meaning. By foregrounding process, technique, and experimentation, the exhibition shifts attention to the decisions, skills, and innovations that shape artistic expression.
Structured into five thematic segments — Pigment & Gesture, Form & Structure, Pixel & Lens, Clay & Fire, and Surface & Reinvention — the exhibition creates a journey through the varied languages of making. From energetic brushstrokes and carefully layered pigments, to sculptural forms carved in wood and cast in bronze; from digitally manipulated images to ceramics transformed by heat; and from textile-infused surfaces to mixed-media experimentation, the exhibition reflects the diversity and dynamism of contemporary Nigerian art.
Speaking on the significance of the exhibition, the Museum Director, Dr. Jess Castellote, emphasised its institutional relevance: “At the YSMA, education and creativity meet.
Tracing Forms reflects our mission to deepen understanding not only of what art is, but how art is made. By revealing process, material, and experimentation, this exhibition opens new pathways for learning—for students, scholars, and the wider public, fostering a more informed and engaged audience. It demonstrates the museum’s commitment to positioning Nigerian art within global conversations about technique, innovation, and artistic knowledge.”
The exhibition’s curator, Charles Udeh, underscored the conceptual thrust of the project:
“Every artwork begins with a series of choices—about material, method, and transformation. In this exhibition, visitors encounter those choices directly. Whether it’s the pressure of a brushstroke, the precision of a chisel, the heat of a kiln, or the layering of digital pixels, each technique tells a story. Tracing Forms invites audiences to slow down, look closely and appreciate art not only for what it depicts, but for the remarkable processes that bring it into being.”
