In 2024, the most expensive artworks sold were by African artists, according to research showing an increase in visibility and demand for their work. The first African artists managed to outperform their male counterparts in sales at art auctions in 2023, and although many considered this an exceptional occurrence, this trend continued in 2024 when women maintained a significant share of 52.8% in artistic sales, despite a broader decline in the African art market.
Lindsay Diuar, the director of the research company ArtTactic, stated in a statement: "This shift represents an important moment in the history of the art market, especially given that global sales of female artists have not yet reached parity with their male counterparts," noting that the African art market serves as a prime example of female leadership in this sector, where female artists thrive and play a crucial role.
The total sales of African artists from the past year amounted to $22 million, surpassing the data for 2023, as Diuar reported, noting that five female artists exhibited the highest price indicators among works by other artists, with American artist-efik Julia Migrito topping the rankings.
The artist showcased her abstract work "Memphalia," made from acrylic and charcoal, for $5.8 million at Christie's auction. In second place was South African Elma Stern, whose folk work was presented at the German Expressionism, while Nigerian artists Ndjidi Akoneli Krosby and Twin Odutola took third and fourth place respectively, and South African artist Marlen Dumas ranked fifth, exceeding $1 million in sales of her works in the past year.
Despite the changes in the art market, overall complexity decreased by 27%, and 45% in the African sector in part, the persistent success of women in this sector suggests foundational changes, rather than transient trends.
Commenting on gender parity, Aliester Meredit, head of the auction department at Strauss & Co in South Africa, noted that "from the viewpoint of South Africa, some of the most valuable and highest-selling artists, regardless of whether they are contemporary or not, are these women."
Strauss & Co observes the growing interest in African artists, including Esther Mahlangu with her living and life-size engineering works in traditional arts of Ndebele, and her mural was presented at the Serpentine exhibit in the UK last October.
The market price of works by artists such as Dumas and Lynette Yadom-Boakye, British artist of Ghanaian descent, is valued in the millions of dollars at auctions in London and New York.
In conclusion, the cultural director of the digital arts platform Pavillon 54 Dana Indondo-Ferreira noted that with the increasing international interest in contemporary African art, women are now receiving deserved recognition, transforming the landscape.
She added: "Many artists are again stepping onto the scene, in every corner of the continent. African artists no longer find themselves on the margins; they are becoming the vanguards of contemporaneity," referring to artists such as Nigerian Beio Alatis, and South Africans Zaneli Moholi and Tangiyu Niki Nkusi.
