From December 5–7, 2025, the global visual art community shifted attention to the Art Basel Miami Beach 2025, one of the biggest art events in the world.
Held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, and serving as the centerpiece of Miami Art Week, for showcasing modern and contemporary art, the Art Basel for the first time spotlighted Nigeria.
For the first time, Ko Art Space, a Lagos-based Nigerian gallery, featured among the 283 galleries from 43 countries at the Art Basel this year.
Yet again, Nike Okundaye, an iconic Nigerian textile artist, founder, executive director, and proprietor of Nike Art Gallery, added more to her ever-growing laurels with her participation at the art basel, for the first time.
Mama Nike, as she is fondly called, spiced the Miami Beach Art Basel 2025 with a radiant solo exhibition at Ko Art Space (Booth S5), which featured some of her iconic works from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, and are aptly ‘a tribute to her youth’.
Seyi Awoyomi, the first daughter of Mama Nike, who was at the event, could not hide her excitement at the successful participation of her mother, a Nigerian artist and Nigerian presence at the global art event.
“For me, this is more than an art showcase,” she enthused.
“It is a celebration of legacy, sisterhood, and the unstoppable spirit of creativity”.
Moreover, Seyi gave credit to Kavita Chellerams, owner of Ko Gallery, a friend of her mother, for making the outing in Miami possible.
“This collaboration is a testament to artistic camaraderie and cultural pride,” she said.
Seyi’s appreciation of the collaboration between Ko Gallery and her mother is appropriate for good reasons.
Apart from spotlighting the artist and the gallery, the collaboration also put Nigeria in a very good light.
Again, Ko Gallery’s Booth S5 emerged among the 10 best booths at Art Basel Miami Beach 2025, all with the works by Mama Nike.
Of course, Mama Nike’s huge personality and incredible creativity also impacted on the success at the art event.
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Having made her first textile work at just six years old, Mama Nike is a foremost Nigerian textile artist who comes from five generations of artists.
Also, Mama Nike is one of 10 women artists included in the ongoing Tate’s Nigerian Modernism exhibition, where a selection of her richly patterned textile works from across her career is being showcased.
The above were the storyline and focus of Ko’s presentation at Art Basel Miami Beach 2025, which drew global attention and offered Mama Nike an opportunity to shine once more.
She truly shined as her daughter confirmed it.
“As an artist, this is an amazing accomplishment because when you are sharing your stories with people, oh, this is my first time at the Basel, the reception you receive and the funny moments when people will say, we have been to your gallery, but we didn’t even know she’s an artist,” she said.
“That is the funniest part to me. But that funny part to me is also something that brings joy and also tears to my eyes.
“It brings joy to me knowing that this is my mother and how selfless she has been over the years, that you didn’t mind putting yourself, and relegating yourself to the back for other people to shine. It brings tears to my eyes”.
Speaking on her mother’s creativity and impact at the art event, Seyi insisted, “I can guarantee you that if this show went on for a month, the traffic to our booth would not stop. It would not stop with everybody coming. Yesterday’s traffic was unheard of”.
Seyi is also grateful to Ko Gallery for “bringing all this together for me”.
“I am happy,” she said.
According to her, the successful Miami outing is also a testament to her mother’s character over the years and how she has built a relationship with the Ko Gallery and the love and bond that she was able to build.
“You are a gallery, this is gallery to a gallery, and is an amazing collaboration.
“Gone are those days of competition. She is a gallery owner, you are a gallery owner. The two galleries are existing and then they are showcasing the founder, executive director, and proprietor of Nike Art Gallery”.
However, Seyi sees new doors and opportunities opening with Mama Nike’s participation at the Miami Art Basel 2025. “I pray that this Miami Art Basel is just the beginning of what you are going to be able to see, the growth you are going to be able to see of all the hard work you have put in, not just for the hard work you have put in for other artists to build them, but now to allow someone to showcase you to the world,” she prayed for her mother.
On her part, Nike Okundaye, who is always grateful for any favour done to her by anybody, appreciated Ko Gallery for making the Miami Art Basel possible and also a success.
She also looks forward to more outings and collaborations with the gallery, while specially commending Kavita, founder of the gallery, who doubles as her friend, for the gesture she extended to her despite that she is a gallery owner too.
She urged for more of such collaborations in the African visual art community.
