CNN’s Inside Africa tackles art in Africa on the occasion of the Jo’burg Art Fair. But the real story is in the growing interest in a wide range of African art from many regions and countries on the continent. Click through to see the video reports and a discussion of Bonham’s recent African art sale in New York:
The Johannesburg Art Fair recently showcased the works of 400 African contemporary artists, attracting more than 10,000 visitors. Organizer Ross Douglas told CNN there had been an explosion of interest in African art in recent years.
“Africa has always had a strong tribal art and a strong craft component, and that will always stay, he said.
“But that doesn’t mean there can’t be a contemporary market existing alongside that, and if you look in South Africa at the contemporary market in the last four or five years, it’s absolutely exploded.
“If you look at the number of young black artists doing well, making a living, it’s extraordinary. Five years ago it just didn’t exist.”
Why African Art is Having a Renaissance (CNN/Inside Africa)