Sonia Lawson

Sonia Lawson is the Founding Director of the of the Palais de Lomé in Togo, an ambitious renovation, cultural and environmental project, which opened its doors in November 2019. She was entrusted with the conception, management, design and oversight of the transformation of the former Governor’s Palace into a center for art and culture after it lay abandoned for more than 20 years. She also curated in 2017 and 2019 exhibitions of design and crafts from Togo at Révélations Biennale des Métiers d’art, the international fine craft and creation biennial at the Grand Palais in Paris. She previously worked in Europe in management consulting, and international brand management at large multinational consumer goods corporations.

Established in 2019, the Palais de Lomé is a unique art and culture center in West Africa. It ambitions to »Reinvent natural and historical heritage to foster creative talents in Africa«. This art center and cultural park presents the best of creativity and contemporary art of Togo and Africa.  The Palais de Lomé is open to the public and showcases the diversity of the Togolese and African cultural production in visual arts, design, new media, science and technology, culinary arts, performing arts, such as dance, music and theater through diverse settings, exhibition spaces and the many discovery trails that the Park has to offer. The pillars of the project are: to promote culture, whether artistic, culinary, scientific or technical; to preserve and share the richness of an exceptional environmental space in the heart of the capital; to be part of the environmental and cultural education of future generations through educational projects and activities and school visits; and to participate in the development of Togo’s economy and tourism sector.