The world of art collecting is a diverse and fascinating realm, and African art collectors play a crucial role in preserving and promoting the rich artistic heritage of the continent and its diaspora. This article explores the stories of several prominent figures in this field, from historical pioneers to contemporary champions of African art.
Alain Locke, a pivotal figure in promoting African and African American art.
Alain L. Locke: A Pioneer in African Art Appreciation
Alain Leroy Locke (1885-1954) was a towering figure in the intellectual and artistic landscape of the 20th century. A cultural theorist, art critic, and collector, Locke served as chair of Howard University’s Department of Philosophy from 1921 to 1953. He is particularly renowned for his contributions to the Harlem Renaissance and his advocacy for African and African American art.
Born in Philadelphia, Locke experienced firsthand the racial injustice that shaped his academic and personal interests. After graduating from Harvard University, he became the first African American to receive the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for study at Oxford.
Locke’s interest in African art and culture blossomed during his time at Oxford, where he helped create the African Union Club and the Cosmopolitan Club. He was particularly intrigued by the connection between African and African American culture, an interest that persisted throughout his scholarly life and influenced the development of his art collection.
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In 1925, Locke was asked to guest edit the March 1925 issue of the magazine Survey Graphic titled “Harlem, Mecca of the New Negro,” which aimed to situate Harlem as the “Greatest Negro Community in the World.” Locke then expanded the issue into an anthology titled The New Negro, the work for which he is best known. Reportedly a title given Locke by Charles S. Locke wrote five essays for The New Negro, but by far the most famous of them was “The Legacy of the Ancestral Arts.”
Locke's Vision for African Art
Locke championed what would have been a radical idea in his time: that the art of African civilizations possessed the same level of profound artistic achievement as the art of classical antiquity. Even with the rude transplanting of slavery, that uprooted the technical elements of his former culture, the American Negro brought over as an emotional inheritance a deep-seated aesthetic endowment.
In contrast to the approaches taken by many leaders in the African American community at the time-including W. E. B. Du Bois, who saw art as a means of collective uplift-Locke insisted that the value of art lay in its expression of the individuality of an artist.
In the inaugural year, Locke arranged for a showing of his own African art collection, titled An Exhibition of African Sculpture and Handicraft, which he hoped would prompt Howard’s students to look toward African culture for creative inspiration.
Howard University received much of Locke’s estate in 1955, a year after his death. This donation included his papers, correspondence, and the core of his collection of African art, which became an important component of Howard’s burgeoning “encyclopedic collection.”
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African Art from the Alain Leroy Locke Collection, Howard University Gallery of Art.
Tunji Akintokun: Investing in Emerging African Artists
Tunji Akintokun, a businessman, collector, and philanthropist, exemplifies the modern African art collector. His journey into the art world began with a mentor’s advice to learn about and collect art, leading him to discover his passion for Surrealism and contemporary African art.
His first notable purchase comprised two portraits from a series of three by the Nigerian artist Gbenga Offo. “They are very colorful and vibrant, but the figures have large, elongated eyes that look quite sad,” he says of Man and Woman, both painted in 2000.
Akintokun channels his passion through the Ilesha Charitable Trust, which supports science, technology, arts, sports, and diversity initiatives. The trust has sponsored exhibitions, partnered with creative organizations, and provided development grants to emerging artists.
For Akintokun, providing ongoing support to emerging artists is one of the greatest privileges of being a collector. Another is connecting with them on a personal level. “It has been so rewarding building relationships with many of the artists I collect and seeing their work evolve over time,” he says.
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As Akintokun’s collection grew and increased in value, he looked for ways to leverage its social and financial potential. Transferring ownership of the collection to the trust was a way of doing just that. “It means that my children will be able to sell works from the collection if they need to fund the trust’s activities, not just with artists but also with athletes, students, and social enterprises,” he explains.
Akintokun’s collecting aspirations are equally ambitious. “A dream of mine is to own at least one piece of work from every country in Africa that really defines that country or tells a significant part of its history by the best artists we are able to acquire,” he says.
For Akintokun, research is a key part of a collector’s remit. “As in any market, where there is money to be made there is also exploitation that can happen,” he says. He is equally committed to introducing new audiences to African art. “So many young people say to me that they do not know where to start,” he says. “But you do not need to know where to start, you just need to know what you love.”
To this end, he often invites young collectors or art enthusiasts to attend fairs with him so he can introduce them to galleries he knows and to artists he likes. “I am a big fan of networks and of making connections,” he says.
Tunji Akintokun in front of Tribal Marks Series III #13 by Babajide Olatunji.
The Los Angeles Scene: A New Generation of Black Art Collectors
Los Angeles has emerged as a thriving scene for Black art, attracting Black artists and fostering a community of dedicated Black art collectors. This renaissance is fueled by trailblazing collectors and an abundance of creative spaces throughout the city.
Here are some of the notable Black collectors based in Los Angeles:
- Ayesha Selden: A financial services executive, economic activist, and investor, Selden has amassed a varied collection that includes emerging and mid-career artists like Bisa Butler and Shinique Smith, in addition to historic names like Gordon Parks.
- Angela Robinson Witherspoon: An actress, producer, and patron of the arts, Witherspoon has a collection that includes works by John Outterbridge, Oliver Nowlin, Pablo Picasso, and Romare Bearden.
- Dr. V. Joy Simmons: A retired physician and philanthropist, Dr. Simmons collects work by Black artists to tell the stories of their time and culture. Her collection includes David Hammons, Mickalene Thomas, and Kerry James Marshall.
- Darnell Moore and Yashua Simmons: This couple actively engages with artists and creatives from across sectors, curating a lifestyle that inspires their professional and personal lives. Their collection includes works by Corey Pemberton and Clifford Price King.
- Ramon Alvarez-Smikle: As EVP at Interscope Records, Alvarez-Smikle inspires other young professionals to invest in long-term relationships with artists and galleries. He focuses on collecting contemporary art by both established and newer artists of color.
- Reginald Cash: The CEO of 3BLACKDOT, Cash is committed to investment and cultivating community. His collection includes works that reflect his passion for contemporary art and his commitment to diversity and inclusion.
These collectors are not only acquiring art but also actively supporting artists, fostering community, and shaping the cultural landscape of Los Angeles.
Angela Robinson Witherspoon at the “Master Class: A 30 Year Love Affair in Art Collecting” exhibition.
Robert Devereux: A Passion for Contemporary African Art
Robert Devereux is another notable figure in the world of African art collecting. Based in Sussex, England, Devereux has a long association with East Africa and has built one of the largest collections of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.
Devereux describes himself as an ‘instinctive’ collector, saying, ‘I have never collected with any real strategy, purpose or plan other than to work with and support artists from the African continent in a relatively early stage of their career. I acquire art that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - it is as simple and as unsophisticated as that.’
He is a firm believer in building up a relationship with the artists whose work he acquires: ‘I know collectors who will pay serious money for something they have never seen, but I believe that to really understand a work of art, you need to stand in its presence.’
Devereux constantly lends works from his collection, recognizing the importance of well-curated exhibitions in introducing audiences to new artists from Africa. ‘It is an imperative,’ he says. ‘I couldn’t countenance not lending.’
He is a keen supporter of artists with a political message. ‘Peterson Kamwathi is a very serious artist and addresses the political situation in Kenya in subtle, sophisticated ways,’ he says.
The Kinsey Collection: Chronicling the Black American Experience
Bernard and Shirley Kinsey started their art collection in the early 1970s. It now numbers more than 700 pieces and counting, and is recognized as one of the largest, most encompassing collections chronicling the Black American experience.
The Kinsey Collection features works by significant Black painters (including Romare Bearden) along with letters from Martin Luther King Jr.
The Kinsey Collection is proud to announce that we have extended our exhibition at the Tacoma Art Museum until December 5th. We’ll also be hosting an ETC takeover at TAM on Thursday, December, 2nd!
The Kinsey family sat down with Harry Smith of the Today Show to be featured on “Mr. Smith Goes To…” while at the opening of The Kinsey Collection at Tacoma Art Museum.
The Kinsey Collection showcases African-American history through art and artifacts.
African Master Carvers: Recognizing Individual Achievements
Historical works of African art in European and American museums and private collections are generally ascribed to unknown or unidentified artists, or more broadly to cultures or peoples. This has much to do with the fact that when such objects were first acquired and exhibited they were considered ethnographic specimens or crafts, rather than fine art.
African Master Carvers: Known and Famous showcases the achievements of thirteen exceptional sculptors from sub-Saharan Africa, nine of whom are known by name.
Three of the best-known master carvers presented in the exhibition were members of the Yoruba culture in Nigeria. One of the most prominent historical Yoruba artists is a man called Bamgboye (1893-1978), who lived in the Ekiti region in northeastern Yorubaland.
Adorned with royal attire consisting of a cap, beaded necklace, folded loincloth and drinking horn, this figure was carved as a commemorative portrait of a historical king or high dignitary. It was kept by a secret association called Lefem, whose members gathered weekly in a sacred space in the forest to discuss matters related to the welfare of the kingdom. Standing in a royal shrine, the figure witnessed sacrifices made to the skulls of the chief’s ancestors.
Wooden masks of this general style only occur in the southern Bwa region, specifically in the villages of Boni, Dossi, Bagassi and Pa. Such masks are traditionally used in initiations, funerals, market-day performances, annual renewal rites and other celebratory occasions. Great vertical plank masks like this one embody flying spirits from the wilderness that offer protection to the families who own them.
Helmet mask (Epa Orangun), presumably c. 1920. Carved by the Yoruba artist Bamgboye (1893-1978).
The Power 100 List: Recognizing Influence in the Art World
The 2019 Power 100 list, compiled by Art Review, recognizes the most influential figures in the international art world. The list includes artists, curators, museum directors, scholars, and collectors who are shaping the art landscape.
Pamela J. Joyner is the sole African American collector to make the list. The San Francisco-based collector and philanthropist is chair of the Tate Americas Foundation.
The list also includes Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, and Fred Moten, a poet, critic, and theorist.
These individuals are recognized for their contributions to the art world, their advocacy for diversity and inclusion, and their influence on the direction of contemporary art.
Restitution of African Cultural Heritage
A groundbreaking report published in November 2018 declared the restitution of Africa’s cultural heritage was “impossible no more.” Commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron, the document is authored by French art historian Bénédicte Savoy and Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and examines the history, inventory, and display of ill-gotten artifacts and art objects of questionable provenance in French museums and other Western institutions.
The report calls for transparency and a restitution process that meets the demands of affected sub-Saharan African nations whose cultural wealth was plundered in the colonial era and beyond.
The work of Savoy and Sarr has been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of restitution and repatriation of African cultural heritage.
In conclusion, African art collectors play a vital role in preserving, promoting, and celebrating the rich artistic heritage of the African continent and its diaspora. From historical figures like Alain Locke to contemporary champions like Tunji Akintokun and the collectors of Los Angeles, these individuals are shaping the art world and ensuring that African art receives the recognition and appreciation it deserves.
