The Nigerian Art market is valued at about $144 million, which provides us roughly N200 billion.
The market nevertheless stays in its infancy.
You can rely Nigerian artists who’ve damaged into the mainstream international art world with the fingers in your proper hand.
Robert Mbonu, the trendy former banker and Art collector, is poised to vary that.
Robert is about to launch his Art Exchange – Nigeria’s first of its type 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According to him, his change would entice works not youthful than 10 years outdated, evaluate them and funnel them to large international galleries and auctioneers.
This would rev up revenues for artists, guarantee correct pricing, standardise valuations and usually instil much-needed respect for the Nigerian artists internationally.
He is popping his elegant Ikoyi residence 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, exhibits very elegantly in his mansion as he takes me by way of the lovely place ensconced with a few of the most precious Nigerian Art that you could find in a single place.
Edgar, the market is underserved – we are going to pull out income traces 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 occasion will quickly drop.
Robert has come a good distance from his very vibrant banking profession.
He constructed a really good profession in banking, reaching the peak as MD of the outdated Societe Generale Bank, from the place he midwife’d its merger with one other entity, which now birthed Heritage Bank with him as Executive Director.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 knowledgeable, thought of one among the greatest on the continent, and is predicted to convey his danger administration abilities to bear as he begins this new journey.
I stay fantastically excited at the prospect of him financially curating this large gold mine and higher positioning it for higher engagement.
I want him nicely.
