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We specialise in contemporary art that is produced in Africa or by artists of African origin working in the Diaspora. Most of the artists featured here are African nationals, some may simply work on the continent but all will have a profound relationship with it. With a few exceptions (notably Jean Pigozzi and Andre Magnin), the world has overlooked contemporary art from Africa. In many cases there has been a prejudice against it with critics denouncing contemporary expressions as betrayals of exotic “primitivism”. This is changing. We are proud to play a part in the process of throwing light on the creative richness of contemporary Africa, whether it is via the Diaspora through an artist trained at the Slade, through an ex sign-painter in Nairobi, or a St Petersburg trained realist painter from Addis Abeba. Forget “Out of Africa”, if you are looking for clichéd reproductions of tribal art you won’t find them here. And whilst traditional African art is extraordinary and helped spawn western contemporary art, it is far from being the whole story and is not our focus.
Some of the work on this site is for sale but much of it is not, and is there to give viewers a sense of the artist’s oeuvre. In some cases we may feature artists that we have no dealings with, for the sake of broadening the picture for the viewer and providing context – in these cases we will refer you to their representing galleries. The selection is eclectic and includes work from young emerging artists as well established masters. Follow the enquiry link if you would like to be sent information about work that is for sale from a particular artist. We are committed to selling art on behalf of the artists that we have relationships with – and are here to advise and develop personal working relationships with collectors – be they first time buyers or seasoned curators. We are based in Kenya with associates in London. We give our artists decent terms and most purchases will represent an art export for Africa, with real benefits to the artist and his or her community, wherever they may be.
We are committed to providing our customers with the best possible service. We use DHL as our dedicated courier and can deliver safely anywhere in the world. We are always delighted to hear from our customers and happy to look out for specific works if asked to do so.
African works is owned and managed by Ed Cross, himself an artist, curator and collector who has lived in Kenya since 1988.
