A Continent of Style and Colour; Ravished

When I think about African art, I immediately remember the beautiful amalgamation of colours found in southern Africa, the detailed clay and pot works of West Africa, the rich uncolonised history of Ethiopia, and the hieroglyphic inscriptions that line the ancient walls of Egypt. Our culture, ethics, values and traditions have always been passed down through artistic means, with visual representation.

Since the dark era of colonisation and the slave trade, we have witnessed thousands of our best work stolen from our lands by those oppressive regimes. There are an estimated 70,000 African objects at the Musee du Quai Branly in France, 69,000 at the British Museum, 37,000 at the Welt Museum in Austria, and 75,000 at the future Humboldt Forum in Germany, as well as 180,000 at the Musee royal de l' Afrique centrale in Belgium. Foreign invaders not only stole our paintings and sculptures, they also took away our identifiers and markers, things that show the uniqueness of Africans.

Our ancestors were either tricked or killed into giving up our generational art, with nothing of substantial value put in place as a form of compensation, if we will call it that. Our history is showcased in foreign museums with insulting titles that dehumanize us and our continent. Go on, ask an everyday, average European or American about Africa, and they will tell you three things. One, Africa is a country, as if geography is not part of their educational curriculum. The second thing you’ll hear is that Africa has no food or water and the people are hungry and thirsty. Where this notion was birthed remains a mystery to me. The last but most concerning thing they'll tell you is that people in Africa live in trees and the wilderness with other wildlife. While this may be true for some clans in southern Africa, such as the San and Khoi people, the majority of the continent find themselves living in some form of structured settlement. However, this does not stop us from being denigrated by foreign museums who want to spin a sad story to sell to their gullible people. Stolen art is brazenly showcased and perpetrators of these series of thefts are not concerned about returning the artworks.

Visitors sit before the contentious Benin plaques exhibit (more commonly known as the Benin Bronzes) at the British Museum in London, UK [File: David Cliff/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images]

I would not have so much of an issue with the stolen pieces of African art in foreign lands if their creators and the creation got their due recognition as some of the most beautiful crafts to ever be made. Rather, the art maestros of history who we've come to know are the Da Vincis, the Van Goghs, the Picassos, Michaelangelos, Warhols, Raphaels etc. No Africans have been given the deserved recognition for their work, despite having so many of them stolen for showcase. If they were not as good, why keep them in museums?

Despite the drain of art from the motherland, there are still young, budding creators who want to tell authentic stories about Africa through their brush and clay. In the year 2023, it's obvious that there are many more ways one can showcase their art to the world, with one of them being NFTs. with NFTs, creators no longer have to worry about the theft of their work, thanks to the unique metadata each NFT has on a blockchain. Thanks to blockchain technology, our vibrance, colour and history can be preserved better, displayed all over the world and remain safe in the care and control of the creators and owners. In recent years, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have revolutionized the art world, providing a unique opportunity for artists to tokenize their work and sell it on blockchain platforms. This technological advancement has had a particularly profound impact on African artists, offering them a global stage to showcase their talent, connect with a wider audience, and monetize their creations. Follow me as I bring to light 3 bright Africans using NFTs and blockchain technology to revolutionize their artistic.

Artists Making African Art Digital

1. Fhatuwani Mukheli: Fhatuwani Mukheli, a Johannesburg resident, has been using photography, painting, and video to positively alter the narrative around Black representation in South Africa, drawing inspiration from his background in Soweto. Painting on canvas is the first step in Mukheli's creative process. He then mints his paintings as digital assets for Metaverse virtual viewing and exchange. He is one of the numerous artists who have created NFTs from their original artwork. "People are buying land in a virtual world," the artist has stated. Your artwork may be shown on these walls; people who own houses there.” In addition, Fhatuwani is the director and co-founder of I See a Different You, a group of artists from Soweto who work together to develop original ideas for companies.

Fhatuwani Mukheli, Looking At You With My Beautiful Eye#3, 2022, via Fhatuwani Mukheli

2. Ahmed Partey: Partey is a well-known digital artist in Ghana, where he currently resides and works, and he draws inspiration from West African symbols like ornaments, masks, figures, and patterns. His artistic endeavours strive to recapture the mystical power of African traditional symbols in the modern world by uniting its populace around African cultural values, which he frequently refers to as "Afro-Ancestral Spiritualism." One of Ghana's biggest public gatherings, the Chale Wote Street Art Festival, hosted an exhibition of Partey's artwork.

Ahmed Partey, Pupulampo, 2021, via Ahmed Partey

3. Fanuel Leul: Traditional African elements including head crowns, face painting, fabric designs, beads, masks, drums, and calabashes are juxtaposed with modern technologies in Leul's artworks. The Ethiopian artist's work is distinguished by Afrofuturistic motifs that revolve around happiness and tranquillity. With works like "Beautiful Heirlooms," which capture the essence of memory preservation through traditional storytelling—a practice he defines as "inheritance used as a vehicle to preserve shared values and collective experience for future generations"—he seeks to dispel stereotypes about a continent that have frequently been misrepresented. Leul considers himself a self-taught artist despite holding a B.F.A. from the Alle School of Fine Arts & Industrial Design in Addis Ababa. )However, a thorough grasp of design concepts and a solid grasp of colour theory are evident in his digital artworks. Ultimately, Leul seeks to inspire African artists to own agency of their narratives.

Work from the "Beautiful Heirlooms" series, via Fanuel Luel

More creators and artists have put our art on the map, digitally showcasing the vibrant beauty of our exciting cultures for the world to see. The best part is the recognition that they get for their work, which is securely backed on the blockchain, so no form of theft could rob us of the work created by our modern maestros.

African art is a rich tapestry woven with centuries of tradition, history, and cultural significance. NFTs provide a means to preserve and promote this heritage in the digital realm. Artists can tokenize their creations, ensuring that their work is immortalized on the blockchain, protected from forgery, and accessible to a global audience. This not only safeguards cultural legacy but also enables artists to share their unique perspectives with the world.

Historically, many African artists have faced significant barriers to monetizing their work, due in part to limited access to global markets, intermediaries, and issues related to copyright protection. NFTs dismantle these barriers, allowing artists to directly sell their digital creations to a worldwide audience. This newfound financial independence empowers artists to invest in their craft, support their families, and contribute to their communities.

The NFT space provides a level playing field for artists, regardless of their geographic location or background. African artists can now compete on an international stage, gaining recognition alongside their global peers. This inclusivity not only benefits individual artists but also enriches the global art community by introducing diverse perspectives and narratives. We need to support and promote more local artwork and get it in the faces of everyone on earth. Let them see the truth of our cultures and not the many lies they are fed. Thanks to blockchain technology, with an emphasis on NFTs, we can safely display our modern African history for the benefit of the entire planet. The African spirit is vibrant and strong.

Till next time.