African Art

Once disregarded and at times even discredited by the Western art world, African art saw its first real discovery during the Cubist movement. From then on, African art held a greatly influential role in modern art as shown by its recent rise in popularity. A deserving success story of the art world, this genre of art attracts collectors from all around the world. Finally, African artists receive the recognition they deserve. 

It must be noted that African art cannot easily be defined owing to the vastness of its African multicultural roots. The African continent has more than 1.3 billion inhabitants and each of its countries holds a rich culture with its own artistic potential. 

While it remains difficult for African artists to launch a far-reaching career, technology has had a positive impact upon the situation. Numerous events of international scope have also shown support for this genre such as the Dak'Art Biennial in Senegal, the CAPE (Contemporary African Culture) in South Africa, TACCA in Angola or the AKAA (Also Known As Africa) contemporary art fair in Paris. 

Many artists have therefore become recognized and well-established figures of the contemporary art market, sought-after by international and African art collections. This is the case of Barthélémy Toguo, a Cameroonian artist who works in both drawing and sculpture. His artworks celebrate his love of his homeland expressing the continent's great symbolic value. The same narrative can be said of artist Hatem Akrou whose artistic expression places great importance on color. For Akrou, color conveys a form of freedom in art.

Another asset to contemporary African art is the work of the continent's talented photographers. Photographer Ebuka Michael's work reflects a mise-en-scene of intimate introspection alongside a striking composition. His peer, Thandiwe Muriu, draws on a haute-couture aesthetic to express her vision as a committed female entrepreneur on the African art scene. The Ouattara Twins take up elements of a more traditional nature rediscovering the African mask. Their sculptural practice transcends beyond modernity into the realm of tradition. 

In this selection of artworks curated by Artsper, we find many committed African artists, all of whom carry a message of fairer representation in the art world. Dive into the incredible diversity that artists from the African continent have to offer to the contemporary art scene!