In most cases the art on this site is directly obtained from the countries of origin and where possible directly from the artisans themselves. Of course any antiquities generally cannot be traced to any particular artisans, however in some cases where indicated they have been researched and have been tied to a nation of origin, a timeframe when they were likely created, and in some cases where the art was created for a nations royalty on the Afrikan continent, it may also be possible to tie the art to a particular royal dynasty.
The contemporary arts are overwhelmingly from emerging artists that are exceptionally talented but whose artistic notoriety may be modest at best, or on the rise within the art community in their countries. In some cases I am able to obtain art from artists that may have national or even international notoriety. Though in general, my sweet spot is finding highly talented emerging artists. Always, my interest is in discovering art that displays strong talent, vision, and creativity. Periodically I come across great pieces of original art where the artist is unknown and/or the art is unsigned, but the overall talent, vision, and creativity of the art itself is substantial – these pieces also tend to have the greatest value in terms of price point for the buyer. I will also mention that if your vision of great art means it also should also be created on the finest of materials, then you may have come to the wrong place. In most of the countries where the art is created, the artisans will use whatever material is available and affordable, so please do not judge the art based on western standards – consider the quality of the art itself, otherwise you might let some incredible gems slip through your fingers.
Through more than 20 years of collecting art, I have developed a network of art guides, artisans, and dealers across the spectrum of diaspora art styles and mediums. For those who are collectors themselves, upon request I may be able to identify additional pieces of art from the same artisan, or even where antiquities are concerned, identify similar types of sought after pieces.
At the end of the day, my goal is to allow broad access to everyone who loves great art from the diaspora. Through several decades of collecting I have purchased some pieces of art which over time have grown significantly in market value; however that is not the reason I purchased the art nor would I recommend anyone adopt this frame of mind when purchasing art. An art purchase should stir your soul and generate a sense of wonder and imagination, or even a connection to history and possibly your own connection with it, and at worst, beautify your home or work space. Approaching the purchase of art in this manner will provide many years of fulfillment that art simply as an investment can never achieve.
