A bird appears again and again in the art and poetry of Chika Okeke-Agulu. Visitors to the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in Ibeju-Lekki can follow that image through Freedom Bird, an exhibition drawn from more than three decades of his work. The museum at Pan-Atlantic University lists 1 November 2026 as the beginning of the exhibition.
There are two dates to keep in mind. ThisDay’s report of 1 November gives that Sunday as the start of public viewing. It puts the formal opening at noon on Sunday, 8 November. The museum and its presenting partner, SMO Contemporary Art, give 31 January 2027 as the closing date.
As a scholar, Okeke-Agulu has written about other artists. This exhibition reverses the perspective. It puts his own paintings, drawings and sculptures in front of visitors and adds material that would rarely be visible in the finished artwork alone. Poems, diary entries and photographs sit alongside the pieces, offering other ways to follow a thought across time.
One starting point is the artistic community in Nsukka, where the museum situates his early work. The exhibition connects work from the late 1980s onwards with Nigeria’s experience of military government and later hopes for democracy. His move to the United States adds another thread, seen in questions about memory and belonging when a person looks back at Nigeria from another country.
The museum describes the recurring bird as a way to think about the search for freedom. Looking for the figure in a poem as well as in a visual work gives the visitor a question to bring into the gallery. What can the artist say with a line of writing that he handles differently in a drawing?
What it means for you: choose between a regular gallery visit and the scheduled opening ceremony when planning the journey to Ibeju-Lekki. The exhibition dates cover several months. Check the museum’s visiting hours for the particular day you want to go.