‘No longer on the margins’: how women are outperfoming men in Africa’s art market

‘No longer on the margins’: how women are outperfoming men in Africa’s art market
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‘No longer on the margins’: how women are outperfoming men in Africa’s art market
Author: Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Published: Feb, 24 2025 12:00

Summary at a Glance

“Several female artists are reshaping the landscape and, across the continent, black women artists are no longer on the margins – they are leading the conversation,” she says, citing artists such as Peju Alatise in Nigeria, and Zanele Muholi and Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi in South Africa.

“One is the inclusion of African women artists in major contemporary sales rather than only in specialised African art auctions,” she says.

In 2024, the total sales value of female African artists reached $22m (£17.5m), with 452 women represented – an increase from 288 in 2023, says Dewar.

Dana Endundo Ferreira, the founder and chief executive of Pavillon 54, a digital art platform, says that with the global interest in African contemporary art, women are beginning to receive the recognition they deserve.

“Their presence at the highest levels of the market underscores the increasing recognition and valuation of African women artists,” says Dewar.

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