a Subscription.
It Is a Commitment.
Founded because Daffa Konate believed that the most meaningful relationship with African art happens in community, not in isolation.
African contemporary art has arrived on the world stage. The institutions are paying attention. The auction houses have noticed. The art fairs have opened their doors. But the infrastructure around that attention, the relationships, the knowledge, the access, remains unevenly distributed.
Art Kelen Circle was built to change that. It is a space where collectors can develop their eye, where cultural professionals can deepen their knowledge, and where everyone who cares about African contemporary art can do so in the company of others who feel the same.
Daffa Konate is present in the Circle, in the monthly letter she writes to every member, in the studio visits she personally leads, in the conversations she facilitates between collectors and artists. This is not automated. It is curatorial relationship, extended.
Whether forming your first collection or refining one built over decades, the Circle gives you direct access to Daffa's curatorial eye through early previews, collector guidance sessions, and a community of peers.
Curators, gallerists, critics, educators, and institutional professionals, the Circle gives you direct access to artists, curatorial thinking, and a peer network across Europe and Africa.
You don’t need to be a collector or professional. If African contemporary art matters to you, if you want to understand it, discuss it, and be around people who feel the same, the Circle is your home.
Everything Art Kelen produces for the Circle is made by Daffa or under her direct supervision. Nothing is automated. Every letter, every event, every studio visit, these are acts of curation.
The tier you choose determines the depth of access. But all tiers begin with the same commitment: Daffa’s personal attention, extended through a community.
Daffa’s personal monthly letter on what she is looking at, thinking about, and curating. The most personal thing Art Kelen produces.
Circle members see new artists and works before they appear on the platform, and can enquire before public listing opens.
A 20-page report on the African art market, auction results, gallery movements, pricing trends, and Daffa’s analysis of where the market is heading.
A 90-minute live visit to an Art Kelen artist’s studio. Daffa leads. Members ask questions directly. Recorded for those who cannot attend live.
A one-to-one 60-minute conversation with Daffa about your collection or cultural practice. By video or in person when possible.
Invitation to the annual Circle Patron Evening, an intimate dinner and private viewing for 24 Circle Patrons and 4 artists in a major European city.
Annual plans available at 2 months free. Group & institutional memberships on request.