Although it’s still early to assess the full impact of COVID-19 on the African contemporary art market, initial signs seem to indicate that it’s weathering the storm very well. Benefitting from an international collector base, fluency with online display and sales, and a cohesive, collaborative, and inventive community of gallerists, African contemporary art continues to achieve impressive sales. Sotheby’s modern and contemporary African art sale opened online on March 27th, three days after lockdown came into force in the United Kingdom. Hannah O’Leary, director and head of modern and contemporary African art at Sotheby’s, was pleasantly surprised by positive sales. In the end, the auction brought in $2.9 million, setting new auction records for five artists: Cameroonian photographer Samuel Fosso, Mozambican painter Bertina Lopes, Zimbabwean painter Richard Mudariki, Tanzanian painter Elias Jengo, and Nigerian painter Shina Yussuff.
SOURCE: ARTSY
More Stories
What are the Benefits and Costs of Scaling-up the Commercial Production of Bioenergy in Africa?
Faculty of Harvard University and Africa.com Offer Online Course for Entrepreneurs in Food Systems
FTX was Becoming a Force for Normalizing Cryptocurrencies in Africa
Ethiopia Announces Its First Commercial Export of Electricity to Kenya
African Union Calls for Inclusive Tax Regulations
Entrepreneurship Holds the Key to Africa’s Wealth Creation
Creating Africa’s Cocoa Cartel
Harare Shifts the Goal Posts in Farmer Deal
Investing in Nigeria’s Property Boon
UjuziNet is Helping Farmers Better Manage their Operations
Isabel dos Santos Denies Trying to Escape the Law in Angola
Nairobi’s Concerns Halt Possible Export of Baobab