The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA), Pan-Atlantic University, has concluded its first artist residency since the Museum’s establishment, bringing together Nigerian contemporary artist, Anthony Nsofor and Italian artist, Lara Ilaria Braconi for a week-long collaborative art project from September 21–25, 2026.
The residency was commissioned and supported by the Embassy of Italy in Lagos as a cultural diplomacy initiative and culminated in the creation of Kairos: The Third Body, a large-scale painting produced collaboratively by the two artists.
The completed work has now been installed on the high walls at the entrance of YSMA, where it forms a prominent first encounter for visitors entering the Museum. Its position allows the work to remain visible and accessible to audiences, entrenching in the mind of visitors the possibilities of meetings and shared spaces.
The project takes its title from Kairos, an ancient Greek concept referring to an opportune moment – an encounter in which something unexpected becomes possible. For Braconi and Nsofor, the concept provided a framework for exploring what could emerge when two distinct artistic practices, cultural backgrounds and ways of seeing are brought into sustained dialogue.
Rather than producing separate works, the artists worked collectively to develop what they described as a “Third Body” – a new and evolving presence generated through dialogue, exchange, observation, experimentation and shared experience.
For YSMA Director, Dr. Jess Castellote, the residency represents an important new dimension of the Museum’s role as a space for artistic exchange and cultural encounter.
“We are delighted to have hosted Lara and Anthony for YSMA’s first artist residency. What makes this project particularly meaningful is that it has not only brought two artists together; it has created a space for genuine exchange between two artistic practices and two cultural perspectives. The artwork they have created will remain here at YSMA, so the encounter does not end with the residency. Every visitor who walks through our doors will now encounter a part of that story.”
The residency also incorporated a series of public and educational engagements designed to extend the artists’ encounter beyond the studio. Children from the Italian School in Lekki visited the artists’ temporary studio at YSMA for a special studio visit and excursion, providing an opportunity for the young students to encounter the artists and observe the collaborative work in progress.
A separate Studio Visit and In-Conversation with the Resident Artists was organised for students of Pan-Atlantic University and students from the Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech Epe Annex). During the session, Braconi and Nsofor spoke about their individual practices, explored the ideas and processes behind Kairos: The Third Body, and engaged students in conversations about artistic practice, collaboration and the possibilities available to the next generation of creatives.
For Braconi, the residency offered an opportunity to explore how a collaborative encounter could reshape her own artistic process.
“The experience of working with Anthony has reminded me that collaboration can be a space of discovery rather than simply a meeting of two practices. You arrive with your own way of seeing, but you also have to remain open to what the other person brings. Lagos, YSMA and the people we encountered throughout the residency became part of that process, and the work grew from those encounters.”
Nsofor similarly described the experience as an opportunity to approach his practice from a new perspective.
“Working with Lara made me think about what happens when you allow another person into the space where your ideas are formed. We did not come together simply to combine two styles; we came together to see what could emerge from the conversation between them. For me, that is what makes Kairos meaningful. It is a record of an encounter, but it is also something neither of us could have produced alone.”
The residency concluded on September 26 with a presentation and closing ceremony hosted by the Italian Embassy in Lagos. The event featured remarks by the Italian Consul General and the Director of YSMA, a presentation of the artists and their work, a video documenting their residency experience, a conversation with the artists and an audience Q&A, followed by a reception.
Speaking at the closing event, the Italian Consul General, Ivo Michele Polacco expressed his joy and pride in the initiative, describing the collaboration with YSMA as a significant cultural diplomacy project and noting that it was the first initiative of its kind undertaken by the Italian Embassy in Lagos.
The collaboration marks another step in YSMA’s growing engagement with international artistic and cultural exchange. For the Museum, the residency extends its role beyond exhibiting art to creating opportunities for artists to work, experiment, exchange knowledge and engage directly with audiences.
As Kairos: The Third Body now takes its place at the entrance of YSMA, the legacy of the residency remains embedded in the Museum itself – a visible reminder of what can emerge when artistic practices and cultures are brought together in a spirit of openness, curiosity and exchange.
About Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art
Voted Museum Opening of the Year by Apollo Magazine in 2020, the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) at Pan-Atlantic University is Nigeria’s leading university art museum, committed to service and impact through the preservation and showcase of the rich artistic heritage of Nigeria.
With an extensive collection of artworks spanning centuries, YSMA offers a diverse range of exhibitions, educational programs, and activities designed to create immersive experiences for visitors and to enrich the cultural landscape of the nation.
