A classic play by Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, Dance of the Forests, has inspired the inaugural edition of the Black Muse Art Festival in Benin City, Edo State.
The festival, themed “Let the Forest Dance,” aims to reimagine art as a catalyst for conservation, community engagement, and cultural preservation.
As part of the event, organisers unveiled the Azagba Pavilion and Sculpture Park, a new cultural space showcasing Benin’s rich artistic and historical heritage.
The festival attracted curators, collectors, and art enthusiasts from within and outside Nigeria, who gathered to celebrate the fusion of visual art, heritage, and environmental advocacy.
Victor Ehikhamenor, the founder of Angel Muse and an internationally acclaimed artist, said the festival’s theme was a call to revive environmental consciousness through art.
“In ancient Benin, sacred groves were sanctuaries for both spirit and biodiversity,” Ehikhamenor explained. “Through this festival, we’re asking how art can help us listen to our environment again and protect what is sacred.”
He added that the Black Muse Art Festival seeks to bring creative energy into public spaces, connecting forests, cities, and communities through artistic expression.
The event positions Benin City as an emerging hub for cultural dialogue and environmental art in Nigeria and across Africa.
