8 key tips for starting your art collection

The contemporary African art market is experiencing impressive growth, offering art lovers the opportunity to acquire high-quality works at attractive prices. This trend not only encourages the emergence of a diverse artistic movement, but also offers collectors the chance to enrich their collections with pieces that show promise in terms of future appreciation.

If you’ve found yourself here, it’s no doubt because you’re an art enthusiast ready to embark on the adventure of collecting. It’s essential to remember that great collections weren’t built overnight. Patience and personal criteria play a crucial role in expanding and enriching a collection with remarkable works. In this article, I offer you 8 key tips to get off to a good start and progress at your own pace in the fascinating world of art collecting.

1 - Prioritise buying for pleasure.

Rather than viewing the acquisition of artworks as an investment, it is advisable to prioritise aesthetic pleasure and choose pieces that speak to you personally. With this in mind, do not hesitate to visit galleries and fairs regularly, and to engage with art professionals (gallery owners, artists, auctioneers, etc.) and more experienced collectors.

2 - Set your budget.

Set a precise budget for the purchase of your artworks. Consider how many pieces you wish to acquire and how often, so that your search is more focused and organised.

3 - Why do you collect?

A large majority of collectors, 85%, choose artworks for their emotional impact, which we recommend as the primary motivation for building an art collection. Furthermore, 52% and 51% of collectors also turn to art to diversify their financial investments or because of the investment value of the works. (source: Pavillon54)

4- Define a guiding principle

The choice of works must follow a clear direction. To define the direction you wish to take with your collection, you can ask yourself a number of questions.

Do you want to focus on a particular artist, period or movement?
Do you wish to support emerging artists?
Will your choice be based on a specific type of art? For example, contemporary African art.
Will the technique used (painting, photography, sculpture or printmaking, etc.) be the determining factor?

5 - What type of art should you buy to get started?

Again, it all depends on your personal criteria, but it would be better to buy a significant work by a mid-career or emerging artist, rather than an average work by a major artist.

6 - Where should you buy your artworks?

When buying art, there are several options available to you, ranging from art galleries – particularly at private viewings – to art fairs, not to mention dedicated online platforms. Exploring these different venues will allow you to learn more about artists and trends, but above all to plan your collection according to your budget. Don’t overlook Instagram either, as it’s a great way to discover emerging artists who have a strong online presence.

7 - The importance of a certificate of authenticity.

Once you have chosen a work, you must ensure that it is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by the artist, their heirs, or the gallery owner. As the acquisition represents a significant part of the collector’s assets, it is also important to ensure that the seller’s title to the work is clearly established, in order to rule out any risk of the work being taken away.

8 - Seek the assistance of a specialist.

Now that you have an idea of what it takes to start your collection, it may seem like a Herculean task to have to check all these details before you begin. That is why you can seek the services of art experts to assist you with all the steps involved in purchasing your first works. At Art Kelen, we offer five years of expertise in organising and coordinating cultural events, as well as a catalogue of works and artists—both emerging and established—from the continent and the diaspora. This gives you the opportunity to:

discover new artists every week, through profiles, detailed biographies and various posts on our blog and social media;
join a network of collectors who have sought our expertise;
purchase artworks without worrying about their authenticity or shipping conditions.

For more information, contact us today and join the Art Kelen community, so that the art and culture of the African continent can shine even brighter.