Spirits in Motion, Strokes on Canvas
Lagos is a city of noise, movement, and colour. But once in a while, the rhythm changes. White-robed figures glide down the streets. Faces veiled. Staffs raised. Wide-brimmed hats casting shadows where there should be light. It’s not a dream. It’s Eyo.
The Eyo Festival, also known as the Adamu Orisha Play, is one of Lagos’ oldest and most striking traditions. Originating in the 19th century, it is staged to honour the passing of a prominent Lagos chief or to usher in a new Oba (king).
The Eyo masqueraders represent ancestral spirits emerging from the underworld to bless the city and its people. Dressed in flowing white agbadas, wide akete hats, and wielding opambata sticks, their silent presence transforms the urban landscape into sacred ground. Shoes and hats are forbidden along the festival route — a mark of reverence and humility.
Through the Artist’s Eye
Eyo has captivated generations of Nigerian artists. Its visual power, anonymity, repetition, and ritual lend themselves to bold interpretation.
A master of Nigerian modernism, Grillo’s indigo-infused take on Eyo achieved global acclaim, selling for over £226,000 at Sotheby’s in 2021. His iconic painting was featured in the Lagos retrospective Igi Araba and remains a defining visual statement on Lagos spirituality.
Eyo is more than a festival. It is memory in motion, heritage embodied, and art in its purest form. At artdey, we celebrate the spirit behind the image — the artists who honour tradition, question form, and paint Lagos as both sacred and alive.