Mitochondria Gallery

In the studio with Okoye Emeka John as he discusses the meaning behind his series, “Im Just a Boy,” featured in the upcoming group exhibition, Land That Raised Us.” Mitochondria Gallery is honored to present Land that Raised Us, a group exhibition featuring new works by Okoye Chukwuemeka John, Matthew Eguavoen, Martin Jakaila, and Hirwa Bless Aine Jovial. The exhibition examines the relationship between place and the formation of masculine identity. Here, land is understood not as a passive backdrop but as an active force through which culture, memory, and belonging are negotiated. Together, the artists consider how men come to understand themselves through their ties to homeland, city, village, street, and border. Their works ask what it means to grow within environments marked by continuity and fracture, by inherited traditions and the pressures of modern life. Through portraiture, figuration, landscape, and abstraction, masculinity emerges as layered, adaptive, and inseparable from the geographies that inform it. At its center, the exhibition proposes that identity develops through an ongoing dialogue with the places that hold us. Land becomes a site of instruction, memory, challenge, and possibility. It shapes how we move, how we remember, and how we imagine ourselves in relation to others. In this sense, the land does not simply surround us, it raises us. Opening Reception: May 2nd Mitochondria Gallery 2220 Commerce Street #D, Houston,TX 77002 7-9 pm Inquiries@ [email protected] #africanartist #oi̇loncanvas #nigerianartist #exhibitionopening

Mitochondria Gallery is honored to present, “Land that Raised Us,” a group exhibition featuring new works by Okoye Chukwuemeka John, Matthew Eguavoen, Martin Jakaila, and Hirwa Bless Aine Jovial. The exhibition examines the relationship between place and the formation of masculine identity. Here, land is understood not as a passive backdrop but as an active force through which culture, memory, and belonging are negotiated. Together, the artists consider how men come to understand themselves through their ties to homeland, city, village, street, and border. Their works ask what it means to grow within environments marked by continuity and fracture, by inherited traditions and the pressures of modern life. At its center, the exhibition proposes that identity develops through an ongoing dialogue with the places that hold us. Land becomes a site of instruction, memory, challenge, and possibility. It shapes how we move, how we remember, and how we imagine ourselves in relation to others. In this sense, the land does not simply surround us, it raises us. @okoye_emekajohn @mattheweguavoen_art @mjakaila Opening Reception: May 2nd Mitochondria Gallery 2220 Commerce Street #D Houston,TX 77002 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Viewing: May 2nd - May 30th, 2026 inquiries: [email protected] #groupexhibition #exhibitionopening #africanartist #artcollections

Final day to view the Mitochondria Gallery Booth at Expo Chicago. In Booth #234, we present a duo presentation featuring works by Chika Idu and Ejiro Fenegal. This presentation features a selection of medium to large scale oil paintings by Chika Idu, through which the artist engages in a sustained examination of bodies of water as a unifying force. Ejiro Fenegal presents a series of marble sculptures rendered as life size busts and torsos, extending her ongoing engagement with the preservation of women’s histories within her community and in broader contexts. Ejiro Fenegal Omotejohwo Bonded Marble 25 x 15 x 11 inches 2026 SHOW HOURS VIP + Press Preview Thursday | April 9, 2026 | 12-8pm General Show Hours :
Thursday | April 9, 2026 | 5pm-8pm
Friday | April 9, 2026 | 11am-7pm
Saturday | April 10, 2026 | 11am-7pm
Sunday | April 11, 2026 | 11am-6pm Inquiries: [email protected] #expochicago #artfair #africanart

Installation images of the Mitochondria Gallery Booth at Expo Chicago. Mitochondria Gallery is pleased to announce our participation in the 13th edition of EXPO CHICAGO, taking place from April 9-12, 2026 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall in Chicago, Illinois. In Booth #234, we present a duo presentation featuring works by Chika Idu and Ejiro Fenegal. This presentation features a selection of medium to large scale oil paintings by Chika Idu, through which the artist engages in a sustained examination of bodies of water as a unifying force. Through a measured approach to composition, surface texture, and color, Idu situates water as a space that exceeds fixed boundaries and invites reflection on shared histories and collective experience. In this context, bodies of water emerge as sites of convergence that complicate distinctions between separation and continuity, while also evoking broader concerns related to environmentalism and a better tomorrow. Ejiro Fenegal presents a series of marble sculptures rendered as life size busts and torsos, extending her ongoing engagement with the preservation of women’s histories within her community and in broader contexts. EXPO CHICAGO Contemporary Art Fair showcases leading contemporary and modern art galleries each April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, alongside a diverse and inventive program of talks, on-site installations, and public art initiatives. Inaugurated in 2012, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s robust history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community. SHOW HOURS VIP + Press Preview Thursday | April 9, 2026 | 12-8pm General Show Hours :
Thursday | April 9, 2026 | 5pm-8pm
Friday | April 9, 2026 | 11am-7pm
Saturday | April 10, 2026 | 11am-7pm
Sunday | April 11, 2026 | 11am-6pm Inquiries: [email protected] #expochicago #artfair #africanart

Mitochondria Gallery is pleased to announce our participation in the 13th edition of EXPO CHICAGO, taking place from April 9-12, 2026 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall in Chicago, Illinois. In Booth #234, we present a duo presentation featuring works by Chika Idu and Ejiro Fenegal. This presentation features a selection of medium to large scale oil paintings by Chika Idu, through which the artist engages in a sustained examination of bodies of water as a unifying force. Through a measured approach to composition, surface texture, and color, Idu situates water as a space that exceeds fixed boundaries and invites reflection on shared histories and collective experience. In this context, bodies of water emerge as sites of convergence that complicate distinctions between separation and continuity, while also evoking broader concerns related to environmentalism and a better tomorrow. Ejiro Fenegal presents a series of marble sculptures rendered as life size busts and torsos, extending her ongoing engagement with the preservation of women’s histories within her community and in broader contexts. EXPO CHICAGO Contemporary Art Fair showcases leading contemporary and modern art galleries each April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, alongside a diverse and inventive program of talks, on-site installations, and public art initiatives. Inaugurated in 2012, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s robust history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community. SHOW HOURS VIP + Press Preview Thursday | April 9, 2026 | 12-8pm General Show Hours :
Thursday | April 9, 2026 | 5pm-8pm
Friday | April 9, 2026 | 11am-7pm
Saturday | April 10, 2026 | 11am-7pm
Sunday | April 11, 2026 | 11am-6pm Inquiries: [email protected] #expochicago #artfair #africanart

Mitochondria Gallery is pleased to announce our participation in the 13th edition of EXPO CHICAGO, taking place from April 9-12, 2026 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall in Chicago, Illinois. In Booth #234, we present a duo presentation featuring works by Chika Idu and Ejiro Fenegal. This presentation features a selection of medium to large scale oil paintings by Chika Idu, through which the artist engages in a sustained examination of bodies of water as a unifying force. Through a measured approach to composition, surface texture, and color, Idu situates water as a space that exceeds fixed boundaries and invites reflection on shared histories and collective experience. In this context, bodies of water emerge as sites of convergence that complicate distinctions between separation and continuity, while also evoking broader concerns related to environmentalism and a better tomorrow. Ejiro Fenegal presents a series of marble sculptures rendered as life size busts and torsos, extending her ongoing engagement with the preservation of women’s histories within her community and in broader contexts. EXPO CHICAGO Contemporary Art Fair showcases leading contemporary and modern art galleries each April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, alongside a diverse and inventive program of talks, on-site installations, and public art initiatives. Inaugurated in 2012, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s robust history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community. SHOW HOURS VIP + Press Preview Thursday | April 9, 2026 | 12-8pm General Show Hours :
Thursday | April 9, 2026 | 5pm-8pm
Friday | April 9, 2026 | 11am-7pm
Saturday | April 10, 2026 | 11am-7pm
Sunday | April 11, 2026 | 11am-6pm Inquiries: [email protected] #expochicago #artfair #africanart

“Emerald of the Ancestral Hall,” Featured in the ongoing exhibition, Horizon of Quiet Echoes. Mitochondria Gallery is pleased to announce “Horizon of Quiet Echoes,” a solo exhibition by Ugandan visual artist Kansiime Brian Lister. Expanding upon the conceptual foundation of his Timeless Echoes series, this new body of work moves beyond interior figuration into expansive outdoor and landscape settings, where memory is carried not only by the human figure but by the land itself. While the artist’s earlier paintings mainly centered on intimate portrayals of women in carefully constructed spaces, he now extends this narrative into open fields, distant skies, and earthen pathways. The figure, when it appears, is no longer contained by architectural boundaries but exists in dialogue with atmosphere and terrain. Kansiime Brian Lister maintains his meticulous attention to detail and reverential approach to form, yet the compositional scale broadens. Light, horizon lines, and spatial depth introduce a quieter temporality, inviting viewers into contemplative encounters with place. The exhibition honours inherited memory while opening toward possibility, proposing the horizon as a site where past and future meet in sustained, resonant stillness. Emerald of the Ancestral Hall Oil and acrylic on canvas 40 x 30 inches 2025 Private Collection Viewing: Mar 14 – Apr 4, 2026 [email protected] #soloexhibition #artcollector #exhibitionopening ugandanartist

“The Garden Sovereign,” by Kansiime Brian Lister. Featured in the upcoming solo exhibition, Horizon of Quiet Echoes. Mitochondria Gallery is pleased to announce “Horizon of Quiet Echoes,” a solo exhibition by Ugandan visual artist Kansiime Brian Lister. Expanding upon the conceptual foundation of his Timeless Echoes series, this new body of work moves beyond interior figuration into expansive outdoor and landscape settings, where memory is carried not only by the human figure but by the land itself. While the artist’s earlier paintings mainly centered on intimate portrayals of women in carefully constructed spaces, he now extends this narrative into open fields, distant skies, and earthen pathways. The figure, when it appears, is no longer contained by architectural boundaries but exists in dialogue with atmosphere and terrain. Kansiime Brian Lister maintains his meticulous attention to detail and reverential approach to form, yet the compositional scale broadens. Light, horizon lines, and spatial depth introduce a quieter temporality, inviting viewers into contemplative encounters with place. The exhibition honours inherited memory while opening toward possibility, proposing the horizon as a site where past and future meet in sustained, resonant stillness. The Garden Sovereign Oil and acrylic on canvas 24 x 30 inches 2025 Private Collection Opening Reception: March 14th Mitochondria Gallery 2220 Commerce Street #D Houston, TX 77002 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Viewing: Mar 14 – Apr 4, 2026 [email protected] #soloexhibition #artcollector #exhibitionopening #ugandanartist

Mitochondria Gallery is pleased to announce “Horizon of Quiet Echoes,” a solo exhibition by Ugandan visual artist Kansiime Brian Lister. Expanding upon the conceptual foundation of his Timeless Echoes series, this new body of work moves beyond interior figuration into expansive outdoor and landscape settings, where memory is carried not only by the human figure but by the land itself. While the artist’s earlier paintings mainly centered on intimate portrayals of women in carefully constructed spaces, he now extends this narrative into open fields, distant skies, and earthen pathways. The figure, when it appears, is no longer contained by architectural boundaries but exists in dialogue with atmosphere and terrain. Kansiime Brian Lister maintains his meticulous attention to detail and reverential approach to form, yet the compositional scale broadens. Light, horizon lines, and spatial depth introduce a quieter temporality, inviting viewers into contemplative encounters with place. The exhibition honours inherited memory while opening toward possibility, proposing the horizon as a site where past and future meet in sustained, resonant stillness. Opening Reception: March 14th Mitochondria Gallery 2220 Commerce Street #D Houston, TX 77002 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Viewing: Mar 14 – Apr 4, 2026 [email protected] #soloexhibition #artcollector #exhibitionopening #ugandanartist

The group exhibition, Place of Repose III has concluded. We would like to thank everyone who attended and supported this exhibition. Congratulations to all of the artists. Mitochondria Gallery is pleased to announce, Place of Repose III, the inaugural exhibition of 2026. This third iteration of the series brings together new paintings and sculptures by nine contemporary artists whose practices collectively examine the conditions, aesthetics, and cultural significance of rest. The exhibition extends the project’s ongoing investigation into the spatial, psychological, and social dimensions of repose, foregrounding how individuals seek refuge within both interior and exterior environments. The works on view draw from the intimacies of domestic space, the restorative qualities of natural landscapes, interpersonal bonds, reflective self‑engagement, and inherited cultural rituals that shape understandings of rest and restoration. The exhibition presents small to large scale figurative paintings on canvas by Opeyemi Matthew Olukotun, Okoye Chukwuemeka John, Kelani Fatai, Nedia Were, and Chika Idu. Also featured are landscape paintings by Izere Antoine. Complementing the paintings, Place of Repose III features medium to large scale sculptural works by Agemo Francis, Nduka Ikechukwu, and Djakou Nathalie Kassi. inquiries: [email protected] #groupexhibition #africanart #exhibitionopenings #repose #artcollector

In honor of Black History Month, Artsy presents Black-Owned Galleries Now. We are honored to participate in this showcase to share the exceptional artists that we champion. Dusabe King Christian Dynamic Duo Acrylic on paper 12 × 9 inches 2025 Private collection #artsy #rwandanartist #artexhibition

In honor of Black History Month, Artsy presents Black-Owned Galleries Now. We are honored to participate in this showcase to share the exceptional artists that we champion. Hirwa Bless Ainé Jovial, Certified Loner Acrylic on canvas 31 × 24 inches 2025 #artsy #rwandanartist #artexhibition