Adenrele Sonariwo


Adenrele Sonariwo is a Nigerian entrepreneur and art curator. She is the founder of the Rele Art Gallery on Military Street, Onikan, Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria. She was the lead curator of the first Nigerian pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017.

Education

Sonariwo got her first degree in accounting at Howard University, then went on to work at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an accountant for four years. She has an MA Multimedia Communications from the Academy of Art University and a certificate in Curating Contemporary Art Exhibitions from the University of the Arts London.

Rele Gallery

On return to Nigeria, she founded Rele Art Gallery in 2010, though it didn't kick off as a physical space until February, 2015. In 2011, while the idea of the gallery had started taking root, she attempted to start an arts university in Nigeria which she called The Modern Day School of the Arts. It was "a pop up art school for art lovers who may be stuck in a different career."

57th Venice Biennale

In 2017, Sonariwo became the lead curator of the first Nigerian pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale. She was joined by writer and art critic Emmanuel Iduma as associate curator. The edition was themed Viva Arte Viva and the Nigerian pavilion featured the work of Victor Ehikhamenor, Peju Alatise, and Qudus Onikeku.

Awards and other Honours

Sonariwo won The Future Awards for Arts and Culture in 2016. She has also been on the Power List of influencers in culture in 2016 and 2017. In March 2017, she was listed as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria. She has spoken at TEDx events, and been a member of the jury at Dak'art Biennale which took place in 2018. She has also graced the cover of Guardian Life magazine in Nigeria.
In 2018, Vogue listed her as one of the "Five Coolest Women in Lagos"

Personal life

Sonariwo is the daughter of the 18th Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Michael Sonariwo, who died in 2016 at 80 years.

Notable interviews