After just a couple of weeks in New York I am off again to London to see the 1:54 African art fair. I will be arriving after everybody as I am stuck in New York being a good citizen by doing jury duty and visiting my mother who has Alzheimer’s and no longer knows who I am though she gives me more kisses and hugs than during all her sane years. She is the reason I got so interested in art.

She was an amateur painter and a collector though she would never have called herself that- calling oneself a collector is a recent thing.   As she ages and slowly vanishes she is a constant reminder of what are life’s priorities; People and one’s loved ones, not things! She loved things too though.

During my childhood I was a witness to her creative process and to her struggles as she was painting. As a result I gained a keen interest in the creative mind. And so here I am on the trail of new artists, new voices, new visions. The African fair is gaining traction, which is great and the prices are going up it looks like; or should I say it felt like that was the case for my latest photographic purchase! Yes, indeed I have bought something already though I am still in New York! I knew the photograph and when I saw it pop up in one of the galleries’ selection I jumped on it.

Bonhams’ has timed two sales of Contemporary African art for the two last weeks of October. The results for the Africa Now sale that took place Thursday October 15 were disappointing. I was not surprised as the quality of the work was generally sub par.

Shortly after, I will be off to Lagos, for the Lagos Photo Festival. It will be my first time to Nigeria and I am looking forward to seeing the local art scene. Nigeria has a burgeoning local collector base and I am really keen to see it in action. It is great that African photography is gaining traction in the Global North but even more necessary is the development of a local African collector base. Hopefully the work will be less oriented to appeal to a foreign audience and truly reflective of a more novel and local aesthetic.

Last year I noticed and bought the work of Nemsa Leuba at the Lagos Festival Booth in JOburg and now she is being shown at the 1:54 Fair. So I look forward to making more discoveries!