Casawi visited The Hague to meet with gallery owner Ebenezer Loye, as he prepares for his next art fair, with his gallery Chiefs & Spirits. We spoke about his professional path, the cultural roots that shape his taste, and the excitement of taking his vision to Art Miami.
Every year, galleries across the world select their strongest artists, pack their crates, and make the journey to join the spectacle of Miami Art Week. It is the moment the art world shifts from quiet studio corners to the electric buzz of the international stage.
As artwork leans against walls waiting to be wrapped, Ebenezer stands in the middle of the gallery contemplating his final decisions. It’s a process of half logistics, half creative intuition. In just a few days, these works will be lifted out of their crates and ready to dazzle a new audience.
What does a typical day as a gallerist look like?
His answer is not about tasks or schedules; it is about the feeling that anchors his work each morning. For Ebenezer, each day begins with a sense of gratitude rather than obligation.
“Every time I come to the gallery, it feels like Christmas,” he says. “I feel happy, optimistic, alive. Even humbled. I feel lucky to be surrounded by beautiful things every day.”
Why is the gallery called Chiefs & Spirits?
He answers with a smile, there’s a story waiting to be told.
“The gallery owner, which is myself, I am the chief,” he explains. “The artists are the spirits. Without chief there is no spirit, and without spirit there is no chief. We walk hand in hand.”
The name is rooted in who he is. Ebenezer grew up in a royal Yoruba family in Nigeria, surrounded by shrines, sculpture, storytelling and spiritual symbolism. He describes his upbringing as a world where art was inseparable from life, and credits his culturally rich heritage for what shapes his vision as a curator.
What do you look for in an artist?
“Being creative is good, but I want to know the human being behind the work,” he says. “Their personality, their story. The combination of the art and the personality brings me more.”
It’s clear that the connection between curator and artist is central. He’s kept a strong relationship with his artists, some of whom he’s worked with since the beginning, 33 years ago. It’s a partnership built on character, trust, curiosity and a promise to keep evolving.
Much of the work exhibited reflects that approach, drawing intrigue at every angle. Sculptural pieces cast shadows that shift as the light changes, reminding you that nothing here is static. Many pieces refuse to sit quietly on the wall. They push outward, built from unexpected materials and formed in three dimensional structures that lift away from the wall.
The artists heading to Miami:
Each artist heading to Miami shares a quality Ebenezer gravitates toward: art that feels alive rather than simply displayed. These pieces invite the viewer to step closer and discover more than what first meets the eye. They reward patience, shifting your perception the longer you stay with them.
What is your approach to curating an exhibition?
The gallery travels to around 15 international and local art fairs a year. Each exhibition starts with the same empty white walls, yet no fair is the same.
“Every new exhibition is a new experience,” Ebenezer says. “You want to make something you have not done before. Build a new world to share with people.”
His process is guided by three internal questions. “What did I do yesterday? What do I do today? What do I want to do tomorrow?”
It is a way of working that keeps him evolving, never repeating and always moving forward.
What are you most excited for at Art Miami this year?
Art Miami is the city’s longest-running and second most-attended contemporary art fair, credited with helping establish Miami as a global art hub. For galleries like Chiefs & Spirits, it is a fast-paced, high-stakes moment filled with possibility.
“People are coming from all over the world,” Ebenezer says. “Artists, collectors, galleries. Beautiful things from everywhere.”
He describes it as a mecca of art.
“You go there and see things you have not seen before. Things that challenge you. Perspectives that make you think”
For him, the excitement is not just about visibility. It’s about inspiration too, powered by the competitive energy that keeps pushing him to always do better.
Is there a motto or belief that keeps you going?
“I believe in myself,” Ebenezer says. “I love what I do, and I want to share what I do with people. Of course, sometimes people are critical. It’s important to be critical of yourself, but don’t be judgemental. Be reflective.”
For this gallery, it is curiosity not sales that define the value of his work. What truly drives him is revealed through his proudest moments:
“When young people visit the gallery, ask questions and leave excited, I feel very proud,” he says. “If younger people are interested in what I do, I am happy.”
Watching Chiefs & Spirits prepare for Miami is a reminder that art has no borders. It lives beyond frames on a wall or the spaces between us. It moves with the people who carry it and the stories that shape it.
If you find yourself in Miami this December, stop by and step into their world. Chiefs & Spirits is not a gallery you pass by. It rewards attention, invites a second look and leaves you noticing more than you expected. And if Miami Art Week thrives on discovery, this gallery is exactly the kind of surprise worth finding.
Leanne Dingwall
Originally from London and now living in Amsterdam, Leanne works as an editor and copywriter with a curiosity for cultural shifts, social behaviour and the ideas that influence them. Outside of deadlines, she can usually be found wandering through an exhibition, reading the comment section, or observing the small details that say a lot about who we are.