The first African Art Gallery Aggregator has been launched with ten Nigerian galleries that represent more than two hundred and fifty artists. The platform expects to grow and incorporate new Nigerian and African galleries in the upcoming months.
Over the past few years, African art has become highly popular and has reached new records in prices. In 2018, the Nigerian artworks ‘Tutu’ by Ben Enwonwu and ‘Bush Babies’ by Njideka Akunyili Crosby reached the exorbitant prices of $1,68 million and $3,41 millon at Bonhams and Sotheby’s auctions respectively. “Unfortunately the prices seen at international auctions are far from what the galleries or artists receive for their work” – says Ana Acha, founder of Aworanka. “Our main objective is to support the development of the African art industry and give value to galleries and artists so that they can access markets abroad and receive fair prices for their work”.
“Creating an online database and selling online is an expensive and time-consuming process. At Aworanka we minimize those costs by supporting different galleries at the same time. In fact, galleries don’t pay anything for the subscription and there is only a fee whenever an artwork is sold.”- says Ana Acha-.
Buyers on Aworanka will benefit from the security and transparency processes established by the marketplace. Aworanka reviews the conditions and authenticity of every artwork, handles all the export documentation and has partnered with DHL for shipping by integrating their system into Aworanka’s platform. Aworanka has integrated secure payment gateways into the website with SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and 3D Secure encryption methods.
Aworanka has also partnered with Tagsmart, the world-leading provider of certificates of authenticity. Tagsmart certificates contain a host of security features from encoded cut patterns to invisible proprietary markers, making it the most secure documentation in the art market today. The physical certificate is linked to a digital record that can be accessed by scanning the QR code or by going to the public search in Tagsmart. Every purchase over $500 includes a free account with Tagsmart.
Besides being the number one marketplace for African art, Aworanka wants to become the primary source of information for collectors, investors, scholars and art enthusiasts. “We already have a database of over one hundred biographies of African artists online, we have started publishing interviews and we expect to launch our reports section in 2021. We are open to collaborate with any institution or organization that, like us, wants to promote African art all over the world”. –says Ana Acha-.
Every month, Aworanka partners with new galleries to offer a diverse mix of artworks and artists in the fields of painting, sculpture, prints and photography. All artworks will be inspired and created by African artists. African-based galleries can apply to join Aworanka’s community on their website www.aworanka.com.
This platform was founded by Ana Acha, co-founder of the Nigerian magazine Malimbe, the in-flight magazine of four Nigerian Airlines.