Charles Achibi
Charles Achibi, born in 1981 in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria, is more than a multidisciplinary artist—he is a perceptive observer of the human condition, exploring the tensions between memory, identity, and transformation through his distinctive visual language. A graduate of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he specialized in painting and drawing, Charles’s practice fluidly combines fine art, illustration, and graphic design.
Achibi’s work traverses figuration and abstraction, marked by luminous colour palettes, iridescent textures, and a deep sensitivity to materiality and form. Drawing on his roots in minimalist design, he creates compositions that are both formally precise and emotionally resonant. His themes span personal and collective memory, political awareness, cultural narratives, and environmental concerns—each rendered through a layered, experimental approach that reflects the evolving landscape of contemporary African art.
His work has been featured in key exhibitions such as Arts and Health (WHO); Life in My City (Alliance Française). His artistic achievements include the First Prize Merit at the National Visual Art Competition by the National Gallery of Art (2008); Graphic Designer of the Year award (2015). His artworks are held in private collections across Nigeria, France, the Netherlands, and the United States—affirming his growing reputation in the international contemporary art scene. Today, he continues to live and work in Kaduna, Nigeria, where his studio serves as a space for experimentation, cultural expression, and visual storytelling.
What Fabric Holds: A Material Examination of Memory
18 March – 16 April 2026 | KUNSThouse H30, Zurich
Set within a historic former silk factory, What Fabric Holds explores memory through textile, surface, and ritual form. Featuring six contemporary artists from Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the exhibition proposes that history is materially constructed rather than merely narrated. Here, pigment and gesture transmit memory through spatial logic.
Through the Eyes of Gaga: Louise Metzger & the shaping of modern artistic practice in Sierra Leone
February 14–21, 2026 | unx-art gallery, Leicester Peak, Freetown
Discover the enduring legacy of Louise “Gaga” Metzger, the visionary educator and founder who shaped Sierra Leonean modernism. Explore her textile-inspired monoprints alongside works by the mentees she inspired. This exhibition celebrates artistic transmission, honoring a spirit that built the foundations of our visual culture.
Wetin bɛ: Freetown in Retrospect
October 25–26, 2025 | unx-gallery, Leicester Peak, Freetown
A quiet meditation on Freetown’s disappearing wooden houses—the bod ose built by freed Africans in the late 18th century. In translucent washes of colour, John Francis transforms erasure into memory, painting architecture as living history. Through water and light, he asks a simple question with a heavy echo: Wetin bɛ? — what happened?
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Regards croisés: west Africa reflected on lake geneva
July 31 – August 20, 2025 | Clinique de Genolier, Switzerland
An unexpected dialogue between West African contemporary art and Swiss serenity. Eight artists from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo explore resilience, identity, and healing in unx-art’s second Swiss exhibition, set in a space where care and creativity meet.
Africa Basel: Held in memory, Forged in Form
June 18 – 21, 2025 | Ackermannshof, Basel, Switzerland
UNX Art’s exhibition Held in Memory, Forged in Form features Helen Nzete and Clément Gbegno, presenting sculptural and abstract works that reflect themes of memory, disappearance, and emotional restoration.
Matter of Now: 7 Nigerian minds in Freetown
May 16 – 24, 2025 | unx-art Gallery, Freetown, Sierra Leone
A collective exhibition presenting eight Nigerian artists delving into the complexity of the present moment — where memory, culture, and introspection intersect — in unx-art’s debut show at its Freetown gallery.
Giving Goddess: unx-art gallery space debutes
March 20 – April 30, 2025 | unx-art Gallery, Freetown, Sierra Leone
A solo exhibition by Hawa-Jane Bangura, blending digital and traditional media to celebrate African history, femininity, and solidarity. unx-art’s inaugural exhibition in Freetown introduced her empowering vision to a new audience.