Would you buy art prints from contemporary African artists if the price point was from £40 to £120 (depending on size). Artists would be paid comission on each sale.

Hear us out. We’re not posting this for self promotion… it’s more of a problem that we’re trying to understand. Any feedback would be appreciated.

The Print Conundrum

The New Artist’s Problem: You’re an upcoming artist that has had amazing feedback but you don’t have a big primary sale market yet. Although you feel that your original artwork is priced fairly at £1,000 - demand isn’t great.

The Customer / Collector Problem: I’ve just seen something I really like and want to buy it. I think this would look amazing in my living room and I really connect with the artist is conveying. However the original artwork is £1,000 and I don’t have money to spend on it.

Result: Losers - both parties

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Why don’t you make a print?

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The New Artists Problem: Prints will dilute my original artworks. I’ve been told not to do prints and only artists with huge demand make prints. It’s not common practice and is frowned upon in the industry.

The Customer / Collector Problem: Oh I love this artwork… oh but that’s a print. Is it a print or a poster? This is not what I signed up for.

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Perspective Shift

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The Artist’s Benefits - in the modern age - artists are also brands and that’s the way one should look at it. The more interaction people have with that brand the more demand it will create and the more new and aspirational customers will follow. If I sell 100 prints for example and these 100 prints end up in 100 homes then through basic everyday interaction - the likelyhood of new eyes seeing my artwork is likely to be higher than not selling those 100 original prints. I will create more demand than I previously had.

The Customer / Collector Benefits: I’ve got the artwork that I really liked and my living room is going to look like a more inviting place that shows off my personality. I’ve invested in the artist and I’ve supported them at an early stage of their career. I hold a piece of work with a certificate of authenticity in case they become the next big thing. I can still buy an original if I really love living with it when I have more disposable income.

Result: Winners - Both Parties

Would you buy a print? Please comment below

I have these sculptures and am interested in learning what I can about them. I tried Google Lens but could not find anything similar using that. Thank you in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/7okml0r4jisc1.jpg?width=3012&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2812ef8f209689d950d27cdd02e47c997bc978be

can anyone id? He was told it was Nigeria but he saw a tv programme with a similiar sculpture which wasn’t Nigerian. Thanks a lot in advance!

Hello! I lived in Ghana (Aburi, to be exact) in the mid 80s and I purchased a watercolor which I've had since 1986. It's a scene of Lake Bosumtwi and is signed by the artist Emmanuel Owusu-Dartey. I recently realized that Mr Owusu Dartey (who passed a few years ago) has become quite famous and recognized as part of the Akwapim 6, a group of fine arts painters established in the 60s, and his paintings have become quite valuable. I would love to have the painting appraised, as I am interested in selling it and I see his paintings are going for a fair amount of money. any recommendations are appreciated! (BTW I live in the Washington DC area)

https://preview.redd.it/s591dxam8ppc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef21d54f91fef6077b7d675c0f8508d6e90a0c0e

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https://preview.redd.it/dp8snqmgkbpc1.jpg?width=1667&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=271f1382691434226a9123c605ee45a55b21ae79

https://preview.redd.it/num39tmgkbpc1.jpg?width=2513&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5d469d6035635a1301645f1ccc6d20f1353be5c

https://preview.redd.it/ijuf0wmgkbpc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b780d4cffadab9b087ed38aa6fe9580e5040bcc

Hello, i am looking for an artist that created a picture of a woman’s head completely made with little newspaper snippets. It’s in black and white and a little 3 dimensional.

I saw the piece years ago and want to find out the artists name. Unfortunately I don’t have any more information. It’s not a lot but maybe someone has heard of it.

Thanks a lot ❤️

Need help with identity and value of this sculpture. It is some type of forged metal. About 7” tall and pretty heavy for the size. I have 6 different ones. My mother acquired them over 30 years ago. Appreciate any help.

Wondering about this great mask I found in a park in Southwark, London. Looks kind of adolescent - maybe used for an initiation ceremony?

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https://preview.redd.it/kfyrf4xjjxnc1.jpg?width=3648&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68774d8f8150804a8a8d8ee42e799dd51bdc709f

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https://imgur.com/a/OZnWUK1

I'm getting a little frustrated that this is the answer to 90% of posts here. Yes many of these are tourist pieces, but these things don't just come from nowhere.

There is a clear inspiration behind these masks and sculptures. They're very clearly recreating SOMETHING, and it's that SOMETHING that we want to know more about.

If someone bought an eiffel tower knick-knack from a Paris gift shop, and had no idea what it was, would you just tell them "it's just a tourist item" or would you tell them what the eiffel tower is, it's history, and why it's significant enough to sell recreations at gift shops?

So please, even if it's just a tourist item, don't be so dismissive of African culture and it's people. Elaborate on what the piece is a recreation of, what was it's significance to it's people was/Once was, and if you don't know, then just say that and inquisit on possible leads or avenues to dig deeper so we can learn together.

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Africa is a rich culture and I love the colorful garments African women tend to wear in the Safari. I painted this Safari scene as a celebration of Africa Safari Women.

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https://preview.redd.it/fivtyom11ulc1.jpg?width=1527&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68c9c68b448279d38b2d363a9ec0c1ae2a9f9ff4

I'm working on identifying this Spear for my university's Anthropology department, but I'm having a very hard time finding any information. The university had the spear labeled as "East African Spear" and after some research I'm very certain that it is not East African, I have found 3 other spears like this online (after about 1 month of looking). And they each claim to be from a different area, one from the Peabody Harvard museum is claimed to be a "Liberian Chief's Spear", another I found claims to be a "Hausa Hunting Spear" from Ghana, and the last one is called a "Hunting Spear" from the Congo. Each of them date from around the 1960s-1970s time period. Two of the spears I have found are from museum collections, and the other is on an African art resale website.

I just want to know a bit more about it, if it was ceremonial, decorative, tourist art, or actually used as a hunting tool. If anyone knows anything about the relative culture group, region, or use of this spear, please feel free to let me know.