Art In Heart Gallery Ltd has been recognized with a 2026 Global Recognition Award for reshaping architecture and art as instruments of social change through African-centered innovation. Founded by architect Chinedum Evans Ewe, the Nigerian creative social enterprise disrupts conventional paradigms by treating buildings and communities as living systems rather than static structures. The organization earned exceptional ratings across innovation criteria, particularly for its originality, intellectual property development, and capacity to address global challenges, including sustainability, wellbeing, and inclusive growth. Shortlisted applicants were evaluated using the Rasch model, which creates a linear measurement scale for each category, allowing for precise comparisons between applicants even when they excel in different areas.

Paradigm Disruption Through African Epistemology

Art In Heart Gallery works across architecture, technology, spirituality, and community development while positioning creativity as infrastructure for societal healing. The enterprise’s most disruptive innovation is AfaSense, an emerging artificial intelligence-enabled predictive maintenance and wellbeing intelligence concept that reimagines buildings as having a nervous system that responds to human wellbeing and environmental health. This approach fundamentally challenges conventional facilities management models globally by drawing on African epistemology. In this art, biology, spirituality, and technology interconnect in ways that Western architectural theory has historically overlooked or dismissed.

Evans founded the organization in 2020 after an initial attempt at a student exhibition failed. He changed Art In Heart from a gallery into a movement for creative rebirth that now serves as a model for cultural institutions across Nigeria. The enterprise has delivered exhibitions, workshops, and cultural interventions that empower emerging artists, youth, and underserved communities across Nigeria while creating sustainable pathways for artistic and professional development. Evans has authored three books, including Creative Rebirth, Creative Decay, and Quantum Jurisprudence, and delivered a TEDx Talk at Baze University in 2023, establishing him as a global voice for African-led innovation in architecture and creative practice.

Measurable Impact And Sustainable Models

The organization’s programs have generated measurable outcomes, including increased creative participation, skills transfer, economic opportunities for artists, and strengthened community identity through systematic engagement with local populations. Art In Heart combines volunteerism, partnerships, and enterprise frameworks to ensure continuity and scalability, which distinguishes it from conventional charity models that often create dependency rather than empowerment. The team includes specialists in legal policy, content creation, brand strategy, and monitoring and evaluation, enabling a systematic assessment of impact while maintaining operational excellence across multiple domains of practice.

Evans’ leadership extends beyond Art In Heart’s direct programming to mentoring creatives, architects, and young leaders who view creativity as a tool for policy influence rather than mere aesthetic expression. The enterprise’s core values emphasize artist empowerment, community building, integrity, and innovation through new technologies that make art accessible while preserving its capacity to affect individuals and communities. This approach positions the organization within broader movements to leverage social enterprises for sustainable development goals across Africa, where creative industries are increasingly recognized as drivers of economic growth and social cohesion.

Final Words

Art In Heart Gallery’s recognition reflects its excellence across leadership, innovation, and service at a national scale, while attracting international attention through publications and cross-sector collaborations that maintain its African-rooted originality. The organization has developed a hybrid scholarly and poetic methodology that expands how research can be applied in real communities, which Evans demonstrates through his integration of architecture, leadership theory, quantum concepts, and African creativity. This multidisciplinary approach addresses gaps in academic discourse and the practical implementation of community-centered design principles.

The enterprise’s patent portfolio and intellectual property related to concepts such as AfaSense, combined with high adoption rates and user feedback from its community programs, positioned it as an exceptional candidate for global recognition among numerous qualified applicants. “Art In Heart Gallery demonstrates how African-centered innovation can address universal challenges of sustainability and human wellbeing through a creative social enterprise model that other organizations worldwide can learn from,” said Alex Sterling, spokesperson for Global Recognition Awards. The organization continues to develop AfaSense and expand its reach through its headquarters in Abuja, while maintaining its mission to showcase authentic artistic expression as a tool for storytelling, healing, and cultural dialogue across diverse communities.