HANEEFAH ADAM

Here is a response to a call for art for Heroes Past: Contemporary Interpretations. Group show at Adegbola Gallery, Oct 24- Nov 9, 2025.

This body of work reclaims representation and expands the canon of heroes by
honouring three remarkable Nigerian nationalist figures, Funmilayo
Ransome-Kuti, Margaret Ekpo, and Gambo Sawaba, through the visual language
of currency.

Drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of banknotes, I revisit the Bank of British
West Africa, one of the first financial institutions established under British rule,
and transform its instrument of control into a site of remembrance and resistance.
Each portrait, rendered in watercolour, collage, and gold leaf, becomes both a
tribute to those that championed our shared value. By replacing colonial imagery
with the faces of women who fought for justice, equality, and self-determination, I
reposition them as bearers of symbolic and cultural wealth. Their portraits are
layered with fragments of archival newspapers, protest slogans, and motifs that
speak to their struggles, triumphs, and unyielding spirit. Each note serves as an
alternate currency that circulates memory, courage, and vision instead of capital.

By situating these women within a form historically used to dictate worth, I
reclaim the narrative of who is remembered and celebrated. This act of
revaluation honours their immense contributions to Nigeria’s independence and
the broader struggle for women’s rights, while challenging the enduring
hierarchies of history and recognition.
In this imagined economy, value is measured not by possession, but by purpose.
Through this series, I offer a space where these women’s legacies continue to be
alive, honoured, and redefined.

I also thought to have a little fun by printing out the paintings and have them as an installation, in front of the paintings reminiscence of how cash is sprayed at most Nigerian parties and celebrations.