The Osahon Okunbo Foundation
The Osahon Okunbo Foundation Collection is a living testament to a passion that has become patronage. Inspired by the example of his late father, Captain Hosa Okunbo, Osahon “Osa” Okunbo began collecting with a deep reverence for classical African art — especially masterworks from his ancestral homeland, the Kingdom of Benin.
Today, the Collection offers a living, breathing account of Black art spanning seven centuries — from the Benin bronzes to works created this year. Its holdings bridge pre-colonial Nigeria and the global present, encompassing modern and contemporary practices across painting, sculpture, photography, and new media by artists from Africa and its diaspora.
Guided by the belief that art should circulate and inspire, the Collection is activated through loans, commissions, and collaborations, and stewarded with a commitment to research, conservation, and public engagement. Through The Osahon Okunbo Foundation, this ethos extends beyond acquisition to support artists, institutions, and education — honouring lineage while investing in the futures it makes possible.
