Research suggests the value of NFT art (a digital asset that is collectable, unique, and non-transferrable; it cannot be duplicated, making the artwork limited and rare) is following a similar trajectory to traditional art. More companies and individual collectors now see NFTs as a way to decorate their office spaces and homes, just as they once did with traditional art. With so many NFT art marketplaces out there, it can be quite overwhelming to find one that sells curated art from esteemed artists.
Anna Ogutogullari is the founder of QkweQkwe.io, the first NFT marketplace for contemporary African art. “It is a platform where collectors in the global marketplace will have access to some of the top creators on the African continent,” says Anna Ogutogullari. The marketplace launched on 17 June 2022 with Multiplixation, an exhibition featuring 22 artists from four African countries, namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Each artist has been hand-picked by a curator, ensuring unique, high-quality art from celebrated and up-and-coming artists from Africa. This launch exhibition is setting the stage for African artists to join in exhibiting and selling their works as NFTs to the global market.
QkweQkwe also acts as a directory of proof of ownership, adding value for buyers of physical artwork, and bridging the divide between physical and digital art worlds. When someone buys a physical artwork at one of QkweQkwe’s affiliated art galleries, the purchase includes an NFT of the artwork. The NFT is logged on Qkweqkwe’s directory, as a record for proof of ownership. The buyer of the artwork and owner of the NFT can decide to put the NFT up for sale, independent of the physical artwork, or keep it as their record of proof of ownership. For the artist NFTs hold the power to decentralize and democratize wealth and offer access to new revenue streams. Without intermediaries having their slice of the pie, selling art NFTs has become a lucrative way for artists to earn and keep earning on their work. Anna is a firm believer in curated art and putting credibility and artistic intent first.
Artists showcasing their work in Multiplixation includes Ethiopian born Brook Yeshitila. Yeshitila, born in 1982 in Addis Ababa, is an inspiring artist who taught himself in expressing his perspectives and ideologies through sculptures, abstract paintings and installations. Brook has been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), also known as Marie-Strümpell disease, a rare, progressive form of arthritis affecting the spine and large joints of the arms and legs, that immobilized him, except for his arms, for the past ten years. Currently, Brook is a motivational speaker, writer and visual artist. Other Ethiopian artists represented include Leikun Nahusenay, Zelalem Merga, Maheder Haileselassie, Tamrat Gezahegne and Yonas Zewde
Email us at:
anna@qkweqkwe.io / curator@qkweqkwe.io
@qkweqkweART www.qkweqkwe.io