(Anonymous) Interview with a young Senegalese woman collector.

Our guest of the day is a Senegalese woman who currently lives in Canada. This art lover who likes to paint in her spare time, has agreed to answer questions from Kelen’s, with the condition of remaining anonymous… Happy reading!

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1 – What was your first contact with the art world?

I am a creative person and have always loved to paint and draw. One of my grandfathers was a professor of literature and had many paintings in his house. Large paintings that intrigued and amazed the little girl that I was. So I was asking a lot of questions, and at the same time I promised myself that I would one day exhibit some at home.

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2 – Why do you collect contemporary art?

Contemporary art seems to me more of my generation and it is this “temporal relationship” that prompted me to start my collection. I feel a certain closeness and a common understanding of the future and the past with contemporary artists. Being a novice in the art world, it is easier for me to understand what the different works of this generation evoke, rather than any other.

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3 – How did you put together your collection?

I started my collection a few years ago. It all started with a crush, then I set myself a goal to acquire one work per year according to my budget. That doesn’t mean it is an obligation for me. I don’t put pressure on myself and I first try to discover artists and their sensibilities first.

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4 – Do you exclusively collect contemporary art from Africa? How many artworks do you own?

I currently have five works, all of which can be categorized as contemporary African art. I am nevertheless open to contemporary art from other horizons. I remain influenced by my experiences, my readings and my discoveries.

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5- What was your first purchase?

My first purchase is a work by Yves Gusella, a French artist established in Senegal, who captures in his works all the essence and atmosphere of Senegalese culture.

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6 – What first attracts you to a work? Pleasure ? Emotion?

I am often first drawn to the originality of the work. I like it to be different, new etc. So I would say that it can sometimes be pleasure, sometimes emotion.

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7- How do you search for your artists ? On the Internet or in a the gallery?

I will say that I research artists both through the internet and by visiting galleries. Our living conditions have changed since the COVID-19 epidemic, with its attendant restrictions, and this has prompted me to discover a lot of artists online lately.

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However, I read a lot of magazines on art in general and it also allows me to discover artistic profiles of talent.

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I also want to point out that most of my artwork was purchased online.

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8 – How often do you buy?

Annually. But again it depends on the price of the artwork.

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9 – For you, is the concept of price important?

Yes a lot. I’m new to the art world and there are a lot of artists that I like but whose works don’t fit my budget. I think it also depends on your age and your priorities in life. Do we consider a collection as an investment? Would we just like to have fun?n

nIf you have made it this far, we hope that this article has given you some ideas to get started and start your collection of contemporary art from Africa. Do not hesitate to share with us your feedback, questions and suggestions in comments.

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