Limited Edition Prints: what to know when buying them?
The 99 Series, Part 7, 2013 © Aida Muluneh The term ‘print’ can often give the impression of a cheap, mass-produced printed piece of paper that doesn’t have much value. However, did you know that some of the most expensive prints by Edvard Munch and Pablo Picasso have exceeded a value of millions of pounds? […]
SEVEN FEMALE AFRICAN CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Wangechi Muti, Forbidden Fruit Picker (2015) Take a look at our list of the ten most expensive African artists to date, and you’ll see that women take up a significant proportion of the cut—even taking the top place! Unlike in the Western contemporary art market, top female African artists often see great success and prominence […]
How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected the African Art scene?
© Liam Booysen Though the Black Lives Matter movement is by no means a new initiative, the outrage and consequent protests that ensued after the murder of George Floyd earlier this year have resulted in a common expectation for brands, museums, institutions, and other businesses to respond and act. Most likely, all of us have […]
Why Pavillon 54?
A word from Dana Endundo Ferreira, Founder of Pavillon 54, about building the global technology platform for African creativity
A brief history of African contemporary art
Read any article on African Contemporary Art, and you will find that most all will steer away from defining what exactly African contemporary art is—and with good reason. With fifty-four countries and cultures making up the continent of Africa, it is almost impossible to pin-point what ‘African’ art looks like, let alone bracket the time […]
10 Most Expensive African Artists
As auction houses establish sales dedicated to African modern and contemporary art, galleries look to diversify their rosters of artists, and the African art market continues to grow, it is important to take note of which artworks and artists are performing well. This is especially true if you are hoping to make an investment in […]
El anatsui: bonds and bottle caps
El Anatsui’s Gravity and Grace Monumental Works (2009), Brooklyn Museum | © Eva Blue-Flickr.jpg As you descend the steps into the British Museum’s ‘Africa’ wing, you are immediately confronted by a sculpture, large in scale, that resembles a swathe of draped cloth—except the piece is made from bottle tops and discarded wrappers. It is ‘Man’s […]
How to talk about Modern & Contemporary African Art: A beginner’s guide
Veronica Alves dos Santos’s Confidence – Ethiopia (2018), print on cotton paper, 30 x 50 cm Start with the basics It’s difficult to know where to start with African Modern and Contemporary Art, especially as it is a topic that is rarely taught in schools and universities. Where to find books? Where to start learning? […]
Inspired by Africa: Henri Matisse
Left: Kuba Cloth from Matisse’s Collection, artist unknown. Right: Matisse’s Red Interior still life on a blue table (1942) The influences of African art on various artists and movements throughout history recount fascinating stories of cultural exchange, theft, homage and colonialism. In this series of articles, Inspired by Africa, we assess the ways that some […]
Inspired by Africa: Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), oil on canvas, 243.9 cm × 233.7 cm The influences of African art on various artists and movements throughout history recount fascinating stories of cultural exchange, theft, homage and colonialism. In this series of articles, Inspired by Africa, we assess the ways that some of the most famous artists […]