The Creative Director of Revolving Art Incubator (RAI), Jumoke Sanwo, says tradigital art can position Nigeria as a global leader in hybrid creative innovation while preserving its rich cultural heritage.
Sanwo said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
She described tradigital art as the intersection of archival materials, traditional practices and digital technologies.
The creative director noted that tradigital art could play a significant role in preserving and promoting Nigerian culture among young people and international audiences.
She explained that young audiences increasingly interact within digital environments such as social media, gaming platforms and virtual exhibitions, making tradigital art an effective medium for cultural engagement.
“Tradigital practice allows Nigerian culture to travel on its own terms.
“Artists can reach global audiences while retaining authorship and narrative control,” she said.
She, however, said there was a need for stronger collaboration among such institutions to promote meaningful integration of culture, history, technology and artistic practice.
Speaking on balancing digital innovation with cultural values, Sanwo said artists must prioritise research, history, language and indigenous knowledge rather than treating tradition as a mere visual aesthetic.
“Digital tools should function as extensions, not replacements.
“The question is not how to digitise culture but what technology allows us to remember, reframe or resist,” she said.
Sanwo, however, identified poor infrastructure, high costs, limited access to training, archival challenges and conceptual tensions around authenticity as major barriers facing artists seeking to adopt tradigital practices.
She called for structured training programmes that combine art education with coding, digital fabrication and archival practices.
Sanwo said tradigital art was creating opportunities through emerging markets such as NFTs, immersive exhibitions and virtual collections, while also encouraging collaboration across fashion, film, gaming and design sectors.
Looking ahead, Sanwo expressed optimism that the distinction between traditional and digital art would eventually disappear.
“I see a future where a handwoven textile, a coded animation and an archival document exist in dialogue rather than hierarchy.
“If properly supported, tradigital art will become a defining language of contemporary Nigerian and African expression, shaping how we remember the past and imagine what comes next,” she said. (NAN)
