The Nigerian Art market is valued at about $144 million, which provides us roughly N200 billion.
The market nonetheless 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 fashionable former banker and Art collector, is poised to vary that.
Robert is about to launch his Art Exchange – Nigeria’s first of its variety trade solely for the trade of iconic works.
According to him, his trade would appeal to works not youthful than 10 years previous, assessment them and funnel them to very large international 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 a superb 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 stunning place ensconced with a few of the most precious Nigerian Art that you will discover in a single place.
Edgar, the market is underserved – we’ll 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 occasion will quickly drop.
Robert has come a great distance from his very vibrant banking profession.
He constructed a really good profession in banking, reaching the peak as MD of the previous 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 training, which took him to the US and UK, from the place he shuttled to Nigeria.
Robert is a Risk Management knowledgeable, thought-about considered one of the finest on the continent, and is predicted to convey his threat administration abilities to bear as he begins this new journey.
I stay beautifully excited at the prospect of him financially curating this big gold mine and higher positioning it for higher engagement.
I want him effectively.
