The Nigerian Art market is valued at about $144 million, which supplies us roughly N200 billion.
The market nonetheless stays in its infancy.
You can depend Nigerian artists who’ve damaged into the mainstream world art world with the fingers in your proper hand.
Robert Mbonu, the fashionable former banker and Art collector, is poised to alter that.
Robert is about to launch his Art Exchange – Nigeria’s first of its form change solely for the change of iconic works.
According to him, his change would entice works not youthful than 10 years outdated, evaluate them and funnel them to large world galleries and auctioneers.
This would rev up revenues for artists, guarantee correct pricing, standardise valuations and typically instil much-needed respect for the Nigerian artists internationally.
He is popping his elegant Ikoyi dwelling into a personal collectors’ den the place exhibitions, discussions, offers and the like would happen.
Robert is an avid collector with an excellent eye for iconic works.
His Ikoyi house is dotted with basic items from the masters that he has collected over time.
His precision in decor and excessive pristine style, reveals very elegantly in his mansion as he takes me by the lovely place ensconced with a few of the most dear Nigerian Art that you’ll find in a single place.
Edgar, the market is underserved – we are going to pull out income strains from gross sales, to auctions, to Art lending, to art securitisation, front-loading and extra – he says in pleasure.
Already, three of the greatest International public sale homes have signed him up, and he has gone very far in cataloguing the works as he screens them for me to see.
A media launch is in the playing cards, a collectors’ night is in the works, and an introductory celebration will quickly drop.
Robert has come a great distance from his very vibrant banking profession.
He constructed a really sensible profession in banking, reaching the peak as MD of the outdated Societe Generale Bank, from the place he midwife’d its merger with one other entity, which now birthed Heritage Bank with him as Executive Director.
He left Heritage Bank early, for superior schooling, which took him to the US and UK, from the place he shuttled to Nigeria.
Robert is a Risk Management skilled, thought-about one in every of the finest on the continent, and is anticipated to deliver his danger administration expertise to bear as he begins this new journey.
I stay beautifully excited at the prospect of him financially curating this enormous gold mine and higher positioning it for higher engagement.
I want him nicely.
