Absa L’Atelier ambassador opens Solo Exhibition in Uganda, challenges hair bias

Absa Group has announced that Eric Joe Gayi, an Absa L’Atelier 2023 Ambassador, will open his solo exhibition *Breaking the Norm* on November 1, 2025, at The Summit Residences in Naguru, Kampala, in collaboration with Amasaka Gallery. The show features intricate ballpoint pen drawings exploring Afro hair as a symbol of identity, resistance, and cultural pride, using blue figures to represent conformity and black figures with honeycomb textures to symbolize authenticity and resilience against Eurocentric beauty standards.

The Artists' Foundation Celebrates its 50th Anniversary

La Fondation des artistes célèbre ses 50 ans

The Fondation des artistes, a major independent French organization supporting visual artists, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1976, it operates from the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild and the Nogent-sur-Marne estate, providing production grants, residencies, and support for elderly artists at the Maison nationale des artistes. Its anniversary program includes exhibitions, performances, and public events, with a key date on June 27 in Nogent-sur-Marne.

Absa Bank showcases 2023 L’Atelier Ambassador in solo exhibition

Absa Bank Ghana, in partnership with the L’Atelier Art Programme, hosted a solo exhibition in Accra featuring Edward Lawerh Dugbartey, the 2023 Absa L’Atelier Ambassador. The event drew art enthusiasts, collectors, curators, and young creatives to celebrate Dugbartey’s work and his contribution to Ghana’s visual arts scene. Dr. Paul Bayliss, Senior Specialist for Art and Museum Curatorship at Absa, emphasized the bank’s commitment to nurturing emerging African talent through masterclasses, international residencies, mentorship, and marketing support.