A cultural exchange event took place at the Embassy of Ethiopia in London when it hosted the UK–Africa Cultural and Creativity Engagement for the Bradford African Festival of Art (BAFA) 2026 London Reception. A highlight of the gathering, held on July 8, was an enthralling exhibition by fine art and documentary photographer Esther Adeola Seriki, paired with an engaging spoken-word performance by Tobi Aluko.
The reception was hosted by the OAK Initiative UK CIC and focused on fostering cross-cultural dialogue, creative networking and community empowerment between the UK and the African diaspora. The centrepiece of the event’s mission to celebrate African heritage was Seriki’s evocative visual storytelling, which attendees experienced as profound.
Seriki was the overall winner of Wiki Loves Earth Nigeria 2023, and her works resonate with her ongoing project, Everyday Grace. Her photographs connect her life between the busy streets of Nigeria and the peaceful corners of England. Seriki’s camera captured the grace and charm of the mundane, with a “less is more” approach that revealed the unseen.
“Photography, for me, is not only about creating images,” Seriki has said of her artistic vision. It’s about making impact, making work that resonates with people, their values and their culture.”
The evening’s celebration of African creativity flowed effortlessly from the visual arts to the spoken word. Guests were enthralled by Tobi Aluko’s moving poetry performance. Aluko’s evocative verses powerfully spoke to the event’s themes of cultural pride, identity and the diaspora experience. The lyrical performance offered a rich auditory dimension to the evening, beautifully enhancing the quiet grace and visual depth of Seriki’s photographs.
Seriki’s fine art sensibility was appreciated by guests at the London Reception, expertly blending documentation with a deep appreciation for human connection and the beauty of nature. In the spirit of Aluko’s poetry, the event successfully preserved heritage and elevated African narratives to a global stage through her frames.
The gathering was a successful reflection of the broader ethos of the Bradford African Festival of Art. BAFA itself is a fast-growing cultural phenomenon to preserve heritage, promote community unity and show contemporary creativity. Taking place in August in Bradford, the main BAFA 2026 events will, but the London Reception gave a tantalising glimpse of the artistic excellence that guests will experience.
The joint appearance of Seriki and Aluko at the event demonstrated the power of multi-disciplinary arts to impact communities and was an inspiring and memorable launch to BAFA 2026’s UK–Africa Cultural and Creativity Engagement.
