“Monkey Dey Work”… Artists' Dues are Due”: Galleries and Nigerian Art

Abstract

This study examines the role of galleries in the development of contemporary art in Nigeria. The gallery is central in acquiring patronage and influence, which are very important to the development of any artist. However, the galleries and their operators appear to have taken total control of the artist, deliberately ‘concealing' her/him from the public [under the guise of lack of financial support] so that the artist is neither seen nor heard. This study posits that there is a need for improvement in the situation of the artist, for example, in the payment of fees whenever his/her works are publicly accessed for viewing.


(Humanities Review Journal: 2002 2(2): 79-83)