Leonard "Soldier" Iheagwam: When The Saints Go Marching

Leonard Iheagwam (b. Lagos, Nigeria), known professionally as Soldier, is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, performance, design, and sculpture. Drawing from his deep connections to fashion, skate culture, and identity politics, his work explores family dynamics, the impact of war, and the power of intention.

Soldier’s artistic journey began in Lagos before he relocated to London, where he developed a distinct visual language characterized by bold colour palettes and deliberate repetition. His work delves into existential inquiry, challenging established paradigms and inviting viewers into a space of layered revelation and introspection.

His portraiture serves as a powerful vehicle for societal critique, capturing the nuances of his subjects while reflecting broader socio-cultural themes.

In 2024, Soldier presented his debut solo exhibition, When The Saints Go Marching, at Incubator, exploring the legacy of the Nigerian Civil War through personal and collective memory. This was followed by Black Star at Kearsey & Gold in 2025, a body of work imagining speculative futures through the lens of African identity and technological transformation.

Alongside his fine art practice, Soldier has collaborated with brands including Louis Vuitton under Pharrell Williams, Marni, Salomon, Timberland, and Supreme. His work has been featured by institutions and publications including the Saatchi Gallery, 032c, Highsnobiety, i-D, and Wonderland Magazine.

Figures of personal and cultural significance – from his father to boxing champion Richard Ihetu – are exalted in acrylic paint, gold leaf, etching and dry pigment, assuming haloed forms that gesture to the chiaroscuro saints of the Renaissance. The artist has also used the show as means of unearthing Igbo traditions, such as the swirling Uli artworks of the Nsukka group, which he has warmly reinterpreted in sunset shades of orange and red. Elsewhere, imposing monochromatic mixed-media works see hundreds of tiny soldier figurines march in disorderly formations. These pieces reflect on the violence of the Biafran war, which saw the loss of thousands of Igbo and millions more displaced in the late 1960s. Softly reverberating through the space, a sound installation created with artists Space Afrika and Obiekwe blends Nigerian hymnal music with ambient sounds, further offering up the exhibition as a place to contemplate the meaning of idols, identity and loss – a place of communion.

Born the son of a priest in Nigeria, Iheagwam’s formative years were shaped by the communities found in the church and Lagos’ skateboarding scene. The artist ran away from home at 16, selling his drawings in the city to get by while forming multidisciplinary skate crew Motherlan with friends Onyedi Iriele and Olaolu Slawn. After gaining a place at University of Westminster, Iheagwam moved to London, where he has already established himself as a tenacious force in the city’s creative world. Beyond paint on canvas, his materials range from military surplus to skateboards, while his references roam freely between the worlds of American pop culture, African histories and religious iconography. His output is already prolific, ranging from eye-catching fashion collaborations with brands like Louis Vuitton and Nike, to soul-bearing personal works in performance, painting and sculpture.

Charged with a self-sprung authenticity, Iheagwam‘s work transcends borders and the limits of medium, inviting urgent dialogue on subjects at the core of the human experience. When the Saints Go Marching is the artist’s solo debut and his first showing as Leonard Iheagwam.