Tokini Peterside-Schwebig is a Nigerian entrepreneur Founder & CEO of ART X. She is dedicated to defining a new narrative about Africa through culture.
Tokini obtained a law degree with first class honours from the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) and an MBA from INSEAD.
After working in luxury brand management for Moët-Hennessy (part of the LVMH Group) as Head of Marketing in Nigeria, she founded in 2012 a strategy consultancy that cut across fashion, culture and luxury.
Through this company, Tokini developed businesses with pioneering entrepreneurs such as ALARA, the David Adjaye-designed luxury concept store, conceived by Reni Folawiyo; and Maki Oh, an award-winning fashion designer label worn by Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga.
In 2016, Tokini reconfigured the company and created ART X Lagos – West Africa’s first and leading international art fair. The fair, described by the Financial Times as “a reflection of Nigeria’s potential on the global scene”, has since become a cornerstone of the African art sector and has contributed significantly to the positioning of Lagos globally as a fast-emerging cultural capital.
ART X Lagos has successfully exposed over 80,000 visitors to Africa’s and the Diaspora’s leading artists.
Simultaneously Tokini launched additional platforms to support emerging talent: ART X Live! – a dynamic accelerator for rising musicians and artists, and the ART X Prize – Nigeria’s leading award for visual artists.
In 2018, she led ART X’s presentation of a special contemporary art exhibition at the New Afrika Shrine, to welcome the visiting French President, Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of his first official visit to Lagos.
A keen art collector and patron, Tokini also currently serves on the boards of organizations such as Yinka Shonibare’s GAS Foundation, and EMOWAA (the Edo Museum of West African Art) among others.
She was named one of the 40 Under 40 in Africa by Apollo in 2020; one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company USA in 2019; and was featured in 2018 on the Quartz Africa Innovators list of the continent’s Top 30 pioneers.
Her work has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, the Financial Times, Le Monde, Vogue and more. She lives between Lagos and Paris.
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