Mushagalusa's African art Gallery

I am deeply moved and thrilled by the art that springs from the African vision. It is a vision that guides my choices. This is art that speaks with its own unique voice and I place these choices before you in the hope that they speak to you too.

Guy Mushagalusa Chigoho

Questions, comments please call 514 649 3898 or email guy@mushagalusa.com

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African art, a question of value!

Many years ago, when I began collecting African art, I soon noticed something very odd about some Western experts: they attach enormous importance to provenance, to non-African provenance. I have seen how some major collectors of African art do not give a damn about the creative magic of certain works – all they want to know is whether the date a Westerner acquired them can be clearly established or not.   

If documents show that a certain Lieutenant Martin acquired a piece during an 1892 expedition to the Ivory Coast, then the provenance is judged to be solid. But the establishing of such an historical link to the piece says nothing at all about its significance.

Certainly, the passing of an item into Western hands accurately dates it. However, the age of a carving or mask has nothing to do with its artistic and cultural value. A recent piece can be authentic just as an antique piece can be of little or no artistic value whatsoever. 

Tradition, Respect, Emotion

For my part, a piece's authenticity is all about the fact that a highly skilled African artist, imbued with tradition and respect for his or her cultural heritage, conceived and created it on African soil. And I, in turn, am deeply moved and thrilled by the art that springs from the African vision. It is a vision that guides my choices. This is art that speaks with its own unique voice and I place these choices before you in the hope that they speak to you too. 

Guy Mushagalusa Chigoho