Artist Haneefah Adam has emerged as the winner of the inaugural Ventures Platform–YSMA Futures Art Award, securing a major public art commission that will see her create a landmark sculpture exploring themes of innovation, resilience and the future of Nigeria.
The announcement was made during the 10th Anniversary Dinner of Ventures Platform in Lagos, where Adam was unveiled as the recipient of the award following a nationwide competition that attracted entries from artists and art collectives across the country.
As part of the award, Adam will create a 12-foot public sculpture titled Bloom in Unexpected Places, which will be permanently installed within the environment of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) and Pan-Atlantic University.
According to the organisers, the winning proposal stood out for its originality, conceptual depth and strong engagement with the award’s theme, “Reimagine the future and build into form through art.”
The sculpture will explore themes of growth, creativity, innovation and human resilience, encouraging audiences to reflect on how transformative ideas can emerge and thrive in unlikely circumstances.
Organisers said the installation is designed not only to enrich the university’s cultural landscape but also to stimulate conversations about the future and the role of creativity in shaping society.
For Adam, the commission represents a significant milestone in her artistic career. While she is already known for her innovative and socially conscious artistic practice, the project marks her first institutional award, her first large-scale public art commission and the largest public artwork she has undertaken to date.
Speaking on the significance of the award, Director of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Jess Castellote, described the initiative as an important investment in artistic talent and public culture.
He said museums have a responsibility not only to preserve cultural heritage but also to support the creation of new cultural futures.
Castellote noted that Adam’s proposal impressed the jury through its creativity, clarity and relevance to contemporary discussions about innovation and possibility.
According to him, the award demonstrates the potential of partnerships between cultural institutions and private-sector organisations in supporting artistic development and public engagement.
Founder and General Partner of Ventures Platform, Kola Aina, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s belief that innovation extends beyond technology and entrepreneurship.
Aina explained that culture, creativity and storytelling also play a critical role in shaping the future, adding that the award was designed to invest in imagination and encourage new ways of thinking about societal transformation.
He expressed confidence that Adam’s project would inspire reflection, optimism and curiosity among audiences.
The Futures Art Award forms part of a wider three-year collaboration between Ventures Platform and YSMA aimed at promoting engagement between the innovation and cultural sectors.
The partnership includes entrepreneurship-focused masterclasses, guest lectures and student engagement programmes within the Pan-Atlantic University community.
The organisers also announced that Atsur Technologies Ltd will serve as the exclusive provenance infrastructure and physical-digital documentation partner for the programme.
Under the arrangement, commissioned artworks will be digitally documented, authenticated and preserved using technology designed to record the artist’s creative process, the history of the artwork and its long-term cultural significance.
Commenting on her selection, Adam described the recognition as both humbling and encouraging.
She said Bloom in Unexpected Places is inspired by the belief that creativity, hope and transformation can emerge even in difficult and unexpected circumstances.
The artist added that she looks forward to collaborating with Ventures Platform and YSMA to bring the vision to life and create a public artwork that encourages people to think differently about the future.
Beyond supporting individual artists, the organisers said the award seeks to establish a new framework for collaboration between the arts, technology and innovation sectors.
They noted that by placing artists at the centre of conversations about entrepreneurship, technology and social change, the initiative aims to broaden perspectives on how the future can be imagined and shaped.
Work on Bloom in Unexpected Places is expected to commence soon, with the completed sculpture set to become a permanent feature of the Pan-Atlantic University and YSMA environment.