All three of Ben Enwonwu’s paintings of Ile-Ife’s Princess, Adetutu Ademiluyi, painted in the 1970s were considered lost for decades. In 2018, one of the paintings, Tutu, was discovered in a modest flat in North London, owned by a family whose father is believed to have acquired the painting on business in Nigeria. The regal painting had existed in their home for generations and had perhaps been a subject of intrigue and praise. Its display in their home would have inspired attempts to interpret and understand it, but it was not until Giles Peppiatt, the Director of Modern & Contemporary African Art at Bonhams in London, saw the piece that its real value was unearthed.
As an expert in the field, Peppiatt understands art through the lens of years of experience, and in the case of the London family, the lack of provenance relegated it to a decorative piece rather than a work of substantial cultural or historical importance. Although Peppiatt and the London family approach art in different manners; one as their life’s work, the other as art lovers (or family of an art lover), they all had an appreciation of the form and existence of the piece.
It does not take a studied art critic to recognise the aesthetic value of art, whether they admire it or not is another case. So when a neophyte gazes at the product in a gallery, their emotions might be stirred, becoming eager to find meaning in the combination of elements. Some are stirred to the extent that they begin to imagine blank walls in their home that could be adorned with the pieces. Others do not get as far as imagining because their experience with the medium has been one of distance. For both sets of people, art is something to admire, contemplate, and walk past, never something to acquire.
In the past decade, heightened attention has been paid to the art scene in Nigeria. While veterans like Ben Enwonwu paved the way for global recognition in the arts, the focus has been more evenly spread on contemporary artists emerging out of the continent. International demand for Nigerian art has increased its value with collectors and galleries from around the world seeking out works from both established and emerging artists. As the interest continues to grow, prices for these pieces begin to match its demand, cutting off the accessibility of Nigerians to owning works of artists they have come to admire.
Noticing the growth and global appreciation contemporary African Art has been receiving, and the lack of accessibility for Africans to purchase these pieces, Fresco Gallery, a print gallery operating out of Lagos Nigeria was formed to address it. As a print gallery, it focuses on reproducing artworks, in collaboration with their creators to make them more accessible to people who do not have a few million naira or thousand dollars to spare.
Print is a reproduction of a piece of original work. The medium is approached in numerous ways, all of which render it significantly cheaper than the original work. There are original prints, limited editions, hand finished, monoprints, and hand signed. Original prints are one of ones because they are created through traditional or digital printmaking techniques like screen printing, lithography, engraving, or etching as a solely unique art piece. Limited editions have a fixed number of prints available. On them are indications showing the number of prints created of the artwork. Hand finished prints involve an artist adding finishing touches or details to a print. And monoprints are images that can only be made once. This world adjacent to painting is one which Fresco Gallery is seeking to contribute to.
In the first six months of its existence in 2022, still operating as Fresco World, it was an e-commerce website that sold prints of contemporary Nigerian artists. Fresco World’s first drop was in collaboration with 7 Nigerian artists, including Yewande Ambeke, Janet Adegoke and Tobi ‘Teda’ Emmanuel, where limited edition prints of their works were sold. Its pivot from a pure e-commerce approach to a more meditative one was to foster an intentional and curatorial experience with the art. Fresco World went on to curate its first group exhibition “Life Lines,” showcasing artists who “employ line drawings and portraiture to explore the depth and messiness of human emotions and the duality of life.” In it were creations from contemporary African artists Omoyeni Arogunmati, Patti Endo, Abisola Gbadamosi, and Opeyemi “Upson” Arogunmati. In August 2023, it organized its first solo exhibition in collaboration with Yadichinma Ukoha-Kalu called “A Plant You Cannot Kill” a reflection on plant life that explores human connections and resemblance with its ecosystem.
In January 2024, after 3 successful exhibitions, Fresco World underwent a little shift. Now called Fresco Gallery to reflect its expanded approach to the art world and its pivot from a transactional model. With that, there was also a more intentional approach to building relationships with artists, an essential tenet of a business like this. In order for it to work, a deep level of trust has to be established. One where the artist is confident in the care given to its work, trusting that every decision made is done to its benefit. This requirement is balanced with the gallery’s role to act in the best interest of its collectors. Evidence of this balance manifests in setting a price for a print work. An artist may value their piece at a premium, taking into account the effort used in creating its original work, however, it is the job of the gallery to reign in the excesses because the goal is to reach a point that benefits all parties involved. Selling a print at a premium does not promote the aim of accessibility Fresco Gallery strives to create.
Within two years of operation, Fresco Gallery is being rooted as a significant part of the art ecosystem in Nigeria. A far cry from its inception when some of its founder, Ima Ekpo, counterparts were unsure of the gallery’s place in the industry. The reactions to opening a print gallery were mixed, however, Ekpo quickly realized that the key was not to seek permission but to create what she wanted. She embarked on intense research into the world of art print, a habit that has not waned despite her firmer understanding of the subject. The fruit of her resilience is seen in the subtle shift in people’s interest in collecting print. “The past year and a half have just been reaffirming because we’ve put together all these shows and I’ve seen how people respond to it. I’ve seen young people collecting. The artists are happy to be able to do this.” she shares.
Renowned artists like Gbolahan Ayoola, who have dedicated decades of building a flourishing career are one of the artists “happy to do this.” In March this year, the gallery collaborated with Ayoola to produce and exhibit prints of all his works. Ekpo describes this as a defining moment in the gallery’s existence. The manner the opportunity presented itself was by divine timing “I’ve always been a fan of his work. I ran into him and told him what I do and he was like “I’ve been trying to print.” That interaction birthed Ayoola’s debut limited-edition, original print release titled “Solitude: The Fortunate Loneliness Of Being On A Path Less Traveled.” It was a snapshot of his progress as an artist which also reflected all the styles he has explored in his career.
Image by Fresco Gallery
Gbolahan Ayoola’s “Solitude” installation. Image by Fresco Gallery
More recently, the gallery brought to life another exhibition, “Anchors,” which showcased monoprints and limited-edition prints by Chigozie Obi, Daëna LaDeese, Mobolaji Ogunrosoye, Myles Igwebuike, and Falida Nkomo; and an original soundscape by Sheila Chukwulozie. It was an “exploration of the multifaceted concept of identity, as a conduit for self-healing, a commemoration of the journey of returning to one’s self and a grounding force in which authentic artistic expressions are born and thrive.”
Artworks by Falida Nkomo. Image by Fresco Gallery
Fresco Gallery operates using a model that cuts the responsibilities of a collector in half. Although not all art enthusiasts and collectors approach buying art as an investment, all are aware of the potential of art being an investment. What separates a piece from being an investment or merely an aesthetic piece is its value in the market. If an original piece of art by a famous artist sells for millions, a print, depending on the type, can be resold for a fraction of that, yet still hold significant value.
According to leading arts economist Clare McAndrew, the value of a piece is driven by many factors, a few of which are the fame of the artist within their artistic peers, their role in the history of the movement they exist in, and in the wider art market. Like every other investment, investing in art requires a serious level of research to mitigate potential risks. An experienced investor would analyze the factors laid out by McAndrew, in addition to the artist’s exhibition history, sales history, career level, and size of the artwork. For new collectors who want the benefit of a viable investment, but are not ready to put in the energy, Fresco Gallery performs the preliminary research and primarily represents artists who have garnered attention from the global market and have shown promise. This does not eliminate the possibility of risk by purchasing works from those artists, it only reflects what is popular in the wider art market. Some of these artists whose prints are sold by Fresco Gallery are Chigozie Obi, Mobolaji Ogunrosoye, Adewale Kolawole John, Omoyeni Arogunmati and Abisola Kudurat Gbadamosi.
While Fresco Gallery is trying to bridge the gap between contemporary artists and young collectors, certain challenges arise that make their goal infinitely harder to achieve. Over the past year, Nigeria has undergone policies that have driven its highest inflation since 1996. Prices of essential goods such as food, fuel, and transportation have increased dramatically while the value of the currency has suffered a sharp drop, resulting in a decline in the purchasing power of Nigerians. Young collectors have to contend with a significantly lower disposable income to spend on art. On this matter, Ekpo shares “Two years ago, we could afford a $300 piece. It was maybe 200k or something but now $300 is almost 700k.”
Artwork by Chigozie Obi. Image by Benson Ibeabuchi
Despite this drawback, however, Fresco Gallery is making an effort to ensure art lovers leave with something. They are experimenting with other mediums like scarves to showcase the artist’s works. In Gbolahan Ayoola’s exhibition, 200 limited edition scarves were created with the artist’s prints, many of which were framed by the collectors and hung on walls. “I’m trying to do more of that where if there is a print that is not as cheap, at least there will be merchandise that still makes people feel like a part of the art community” Ekpo explains.
Fresco Gallery’s mission remains the same despite the hurdles it meets. Its value has been felt by artists and collectors who are able to participate more in the experience of art. Expansion for the gallery means building a bigger catalog, participating in international art fairs, and organizing exhibitions all over the world.
As the art scene in Nigeria continues to grow, Fresco Gallery’s impact will be felt more. Art will no longer be perceived as a luxury item only the elite few can purchase. When an art lover sights a piece of art they love, the thought would be how quickly they can prop it against a wall in their home, not how they wish they could afford it.
