With the expansion of the internet-based art market, collecting art has become simpler. The internet has taken the art market in new and exciting directions as finding and buying art is becoming faster and easier for art collectors and dealers. An internet-based art market levels the playing field for African artists and Africans in the diaspora in the art space as they now have access to participate in art shows, auctions and marketplaces, locally and globally. There are a good number of promising art galleries, art shows, art marketplaces, auction houses, and art pages online that will influence your choices.
Here are some of the top platforms for African art in the art market.
Artsy is the leading marketplace for art by the world’s emerging and established artists. Art lovers can research, discover, and collect art using an extensive database of artworks spanning periods from historical to modern to contemporary. Artsy is redefining how new and experienced collectors can discover, buy, and sell art. With technology advancing the way art is classified and filtered, the platform also provides editorial and educational content to collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide. To find the art you want, you can set custom alerts, discover new artists and follow artists for updates on their latest works and career milestones. On Artsy, you can bid in global auctions, sell from your collection, and get insight into the market value of artworks in your collection.
You can find them here.
Artnet is an art market website. They aim to increase transparency in the art market by providing platforms to find, research, buy, and sell art. They provide access to their price database, market alerts for new auction pieces or auction results involving artists you follow, a network of galleries, round-the-clock online auctions, and analytics reports, as well as partnerships and lists from other auction houses.
You can find them here.
Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips are old auction houses. They are a trusted and dynamic marketplace for art. They empower the international community of collectors and connoisseurs to discover, acquire, finance and consign fine art, photography, jewellery, and rare objects. Sotheby’s holds an annual auction of contemporary African art which gives new collectors the opportunity of buying and owning exceptionally high-quality work. These three host over 600 auctions every year and offer a diverse selection of items for immediate purchase through both digital and physical shopping experiences, as well as private sales.
You can find Christie’s here.
You can find Sotheby’s here.
You can find them here.
Saatchi Art is the world’s leading online art gallery and its mission is to help clients discover and buy from the best emerging artists around the world. The Saatchi Art marketplace contains original paintings, photography, drawings and sculpture by artists from over 100 countries worldwide. You can discover an unparalleled selection of art by artists from around the world to suit all budgets, styles, and spaces. Saatchi Art also gives access to knowledgeable curators and art advisors.
You can find them here.
Aworan’ka is an online art marketplace educating and providing access to information and artworks produced by Africans or Africans in the diaspora. This marketplace collaborates directly with galleries rather than with individual artists.
Aworan’ka offers a wide range of modern and contemporary African artworks with the goal of promoting and showcasing African art, expanding the art market, and supporting African artists and galleries. African art experienced a renaissance in the twentieth century, which continues to grow today from the influence of specific movements, diasporic perspectives, and globalization. This marketplace helps galleries in selling their artwork online by providing them with a new channel to connect with clients without having to worry about setting up a website, payment methods, or security.
You can find them here.
6. ANA Collection
By developing and displaying its own collection, the Art News Africa Collection is the ANA platform’s explicit commitment to supporting African artists. The collection includes works by several different artists, such as Mishek Masamwu of Zimbabwe, Joseph Eze of Nigeria, and Cinga Samson of South Africa.
The collection includes artworks by African artists as well as pieces that have an African origin. It also includes a small number of pieces that have no direct connection to the continent in an effort to represent a broad and interconnected perspective.
You can find us here.
