Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan, is currently hosting the exhibition of Nigerian sculptor, Dotun Popoola. The solo show is titled, Reclaimed Beauty. The show, which opened ahead of COP29, is Popoola’s seventh solo exhibition, emphasises the need to pay attention to the climate.
The show, with over 20 exhibits, is expected to end in October 2025. Through the works created from metal waste, Popoola draws attention to the main problem for humanity – climate protection and the importance of caring for the environment. The works created by the author are a tribute to the human imagination, which can create beautiful examples of art from ‘nothing’ turned into waste.
Popoola’s Reclaimed Beauty aligns with Azerbaijan’s ‘Green World Solidarity Year’ and resonates with themes of environmental awareness and climate change. Since 2012, the country has been holding the international festival ‘From Waste to Art’ with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the purpose of which is to attract the attention of the general public to environmental issues. Popoola has represented Nigeria in various art exhibitions, as well as the Metal Art Exhibition in Qatar in 2019, the Global Arts Festival in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2020, Be Together (Coexistence) in Turkiye in 2021, and other exhibitions.
Speaking during a panel session with key stakeholders on climate change in Nigeria, he shared his journey of transforming discarded materials into luxury goods valued .
