GROUND FLOOR

In April 2026, following the official opening of Kolanut Gallery, we put out an open call to Abuja-based artists, inviting them to become part of something new: a growing creative community rooted in the city they call home. The response was a testament to the depth and vibrancy of Abuja’s art scene—artists working across disciplines, styles, and stages of their careers came forward.
From this open call, GROUND FLOOR was born: not simply an exhibition, but the first step in a longer relationship between the gallery and the artists who will shape its future.

The ground floor is where a building meets the earth—it’s the point of entry and emergence, where the foundation lies, and the level upon which everything else is built. It is a place of transition, where what lies beneath begins to rise and take form.
For Kolanut Gallery, GROUND FLOOR represents this foundational moment. Conceived as an open call exhibition, it is an invitation to build a creative community from the ground up and to establish relationships that will continue to grow beyond the exhibition itself.

The exhibition brings together a diverse range of voices and practices to create a space for connection, exchange, and mutual support. It is both a beginning and a gathering—a recognition that every creative ecosystem is strengthened by the people who contribute to it.
More than a showcase of artworks, GROUND FLOOR celebrates the artists who shape Abuja’s cultural landscape every day. The participating artists are not simply contributors to an exhibition; they are part of the foundation upon which future collaborations, conversations, and opportunities will be built.

Kolanut Gallery is founded on the belief that art thrives where community thrives. Having opened its doors to the public this year, the gallery and center now seeks, through this exhibition, to establish its roots. It marks the first level of a structure still being built—one grounded in artistic excellence, community, and the shared ambition to nurture a vibrant cultural future for Abuja.

And like the kolanut, broken not for one but shared among many, this space belongs to everyone who enters it.

Ground Floor is curated by Taiye Idahor