Rakeb Sile and Mesai Haileleul, co-founders of Addis Fine Art, which focuses on Modern and contemporary Ethiopian artists, have set up a gallery in London’s Cromwell Place hub Courtesy of Bandele Zuberi and Addis Fine Art
The fates and fortunes of African artists have, until recently, been largely shaped by outsider interests. But now, as the market for these artists grows apace, African galleries are taking a firmer hand in their fortunes by expanding to the West.
The catch-all term “African art” one created by Western auction houses and dealers has proven to be a brilliant marketing tactic. A critical and commercial domino effect has been spurred by events such as the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair and seminal exhibitions like
April 20th, 2021 in Featured. Closed
Rakeb Sile and Mesai Haileleul, the co-founders of Addis Fine Art, started out as art consultants in London while simultaneously running a gallery in Addis-Ababa, which they founded in 2016. Last year, Addis Fine Art joined Cromwell Place, the gallery hub in South Kensington. “We need to make sure this region is included in the conversations and narrative around contemporary and Modern art; there’s a huge gap,” Sile says. (Photo: Courtesy of Bandele Zuberi and Addis Fine Art)
The Art Newspaper
As the market for their artists booms, African galleries take control by expanding to the West