LAGOS.- The first African Art Gallery Aggregator has been launched in Nigeria to facilitate the acquisition of African art. The online marketplace was born with ten different galleries representing up to two hundred and fifty artists.

Over the past few years, African art has become highly popular and has reached new records in prices. “Unfortunately the prices seen at European and American auctions are far from what the galleries or artists receive for their work” – says Ana Acha, founder of Aworanka. “Our main objective is to create a transparent process for both the art collectors and the galleries”.

Aworanka’s buying process is intuitive and simple and it includes a number of security and transparency measures that make this marketplace the best platform to acquire African art. First of all, the website has only partnered with officially registered galleries that meet strict requirements. Secondly, Aworanka reviews the conditions and authenticity of every artwork, handles all the export documentation and has partnered with DHL for shipping by integrating their system into Aworanka’s platform. In terms of payment, Aworanka has integrated secure payment gateways into the website with SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and 3D Secure encryption methods. Additionally, Aworanka releases the funds to the gallery only when the buyer has received the items.

Aworanka has also partnered with Tagsmart, the world-leading provider of certificates of authenticity. Tagsmart certificates contain a host of security features from encoded cut patterns to invisible proprietary markers, making it the most secure documentation in the art market today. The physical certificate is linked to a digital record that can be accessed by scanning the QR code or by going to the public search in Tagsmart. Every purchase over $500 includes a free account with Tagsmart.

Aworanka also offers a customized service for corporate entities and professionals such as interior designers, architects or decorators. “Deutsche Bank and UBS’ art collections are two of the largest corporate collections in the world with more than 80,000 pieces of art combined. Companies and individuals understand the value and benefits of acquiring an art portfolio. We facilitate the process for them” – Says Ana Acha-.

Besides being the number one marketplace for African art, Aworanka wants to become the primary source of information for collectors, investors, scholars and art enthusiasts. “We already have a database of over one hundred biographies of African artists online, we have started publishing interviews and we expect to launch our reports section in 2021. We are open to collaborate with any institution or organization that, like us, wants to promote African art all over the world”. –says Ana Acha-.

Every month, Aworanka partners with new galleries to offer a diverse mix of artworks and artists in the fields of painting, sculpture, prints and photography. All artworks will be inspired and created by African artists. African-based galleries can apply to join Aworanka’s community on their website www.aworanka.com.