Cashing in on growing interest in contemporary African art

Last year, Osei Kofi, a journalist and an international art dealer, made a pretty return on a piece of painting he had collected from Gallery Watatu some years back when the space was still active.

The Tinga Tinga piece auctioned in Paris alongside several others thrust East African art at an international level, attracting attention from dealers who knew little about the artists from the region. This, among other reasons, convinced Osei to invest his ideas and time in gallery Watatu that he is currently running.

Kofi says: “Out of about 1,000 artists in a given country, only about 100 of them make a decent living from their art. This means that the 100 will have a home, a car perhaps and can afford to put their kids through school. But out of this 100, only two or three make it into the international grades, becoming big names in the art world whose work is recognised internationally and collected by museums. But the trick is how to recognise these two or three international graders."
This is the somewhat overall job description that Kofi has set himself to do: To recognise the international ‘graders’ from the 100 Kenyan – and East African artists.
Kofi, the Ghanaian born, Geneva-based journalist, is the new face and manager at Gallery Watatu. Gallery Watatu, which has had many lives and survived many ups and downs, is the oldest privately owned art gallery in Kenya.
Kofi’s interest in art started as a mere interest.
“I started off by writing about art,” said Kofi during the interview at the gallery. “My training in journalism was in business and economics reporting. But I loved art and I would write about artists and art exhibition around Africa, just for the love of it. Thirty years on, art has become my passion, and I have grown from just writing about it to collecting contemporary art from all over Africa, to consulting and setting up an art dealing company some 10 years ago, known as Nana Dede – Art Africa Investments”
Now that is the experience that Kofi is injecting into the East African art scene.
“On the African art scene, East Africa is the place where it is happening. Already, the world is witnessing some big names from this region, including Kenya’s Magdalene Odundo and New York-based Wangeci Mutu, as well as Uganda’s Jak Katarikawe.”

Collapse of Ramoma
Coincidentally, Kofi is coming into the market at a time when things are not looking very good on the Kenyan art scene, even with the collapse of Ramoma gallery. But he is not dissuaded.
“The growth of the art industry goes with the level of economic development. You cannot push it. Art is a luxury, and after people have dealt with finding water and food and other basic necessities, then they can buy art. There is a growing middle and upper class in Kenya and the region. Soon, they will want to buy quality art for their big homes. They have also travelled and seen this kind of thing. It will come.”
At the moment, about 90 per cent of the art sales from Gallery Watatu have been from abroad. Kofi is envisioning turning things around and having 40 per cent of their sales from local buyers.
“Luckily, I am not coming into this as a novice, to see if it will work,” says Kofi. “I have the knowledge and the competence. I know the art world market, that’s my strength. I am connected to the international art world.”
But that is not the only thing that Kofi feels is needed to turn things around for good for Kenyan art and her artists.
“Good management and promotion of the artists is a must,” he says. “This is how the two or three international seeds are recognised. Well, part of it is an innate feeling but good management plays a big role too. This is going to be a big investment for me. I will have to spend a lot of money, in advertising, both locally and on international outlets, like the New York Times, to attract art lovers and collectors from all over the world. It is the same logic that works all over world.”
At the moment, Gallery Watatu has listed over 70 artists from all the Africa and parts of Europe. One of the first things that Kofi has undertaken is to trim this number of artists to 25.
“No gallery can possibly manage 70 artists! Actually, if I could have my way, I would only have 10, and that would be enough. More than 25 would be a headache. See, I don’t want my artists to make a living. I want them to be rich! It is their right. They give the world the opportunity to enjoy art, which is the highest expression of the human being!”

Renewed enthusiasm
A walk through Watatu Gallery, in the heart of Nairobi on Standard Street, tells that the place is getting ready for change: painters working on the rail staircase; paintings assembled on the wooden floors; men in aprons walking in and out carrying planks of wood; and an artist here to see Kofi…
Kofi has his eyes on a select few artists that will represent the new lifeline of Gallery Watatu - although he will not name them now.
“They shall be known soon. We are working on a joint exhibition with the three artists, two Kenyans and one Ugandan is all I can say for now. The exhibition will be on April 17, and I think these three artists have the ‘It’ factor, the international grader material”.
For Kofi and Gallery Watatu, this is just the beginning of an unprecedented new level in appreciation and perception of East African art. Kofi dreams –loudly- of bringing Wangeci Mutu home and staging her solo exhibition. He is convinced that Kenya might produce four internationally renowned artists in our lifetimes.
“And that’s wonderful,” he says with a dreamy look.