What It’s Like To … Run an African-Owned Contemporary Art Gallery in the UAE

It is one of the few African-owned galleries in the UAE, and it has dedicated itself to art that defies conceptions of African-ness. The ethos of the gallery prompts a reevaluation of what African art looks like or what it should convey. By inviting a range of voices and mediums, Efie Gallery dedicates itself to themes that expand African art through identity and personal ethos.

The key to this redefining of African art and classic gallery spaces can also be found in the music section at the Efie Gallery. Known as The Rekord Gallery, this section doubles as a Hi-Fi listening room and features a staggering collection of rare vinyl/shellac records from around the world. This permanent record dates back to the 1940s, and in the context of a traditional gallery, it functions as an interactive exhibition that guests can touch, play, and discuss. It's akin to the warmth of hospitality typical in many African homes, where photo albums or music discs are presented as a form of entertainment and conversation starters.

Since its launch, Efie Gallery has hosted exhibitions featuring artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. From Mali's Abdoulaye Konaté to Ghana's Yaw Owusu, the legendary James Barnor toMyles Igwe and many others. The gallery is also working on a forthcoming exhibition on October 10, featuring, among others, the revered Nigerian artistYinka Shonibare MBE.

Post-COVID, my family was presented with an investment opportunity called 'African food festival', which piqued our interest. Then we thought, 'How about an all-African festival?'

We had this idea of film, photography, fashion, music, and food. Since my brother and I collect original and predominantly African vinyl records, we decided to exhibit our records at the festival. We thought it was artistic, which led to the idea of hosting an art exhibition.

We had around 20 artists, and the exhibition theme paired the old with the new in response to the conversation happening around that time about the boom in African art. It was a portraiture-heavy exhibition, mainly featuring young artists. We managed to secureEl Anatsui, and we had young artists like Yaw Owusu and Slawn.

The exhibition was so well-received that, after the three-day festival, we were asked to extend just the art component for an additional three weeks.

We looked at the African art scene in the Middle East and noticed that it was scarce, so this was the perfect opportunity to bring African art here because in the West, there's a need to deconstruct narratives. Now, we were presented with a blank canvas. Our only thought was to construct; there was no need to deconstruct or reconstruct.

We wanted to widen the question of what African art is. African artists should be afforded a playing field where they can be as audacious as they like. So we diversified our roster. There's no typical Efie Gallery work. We aim to have such a diverse range of African artists that one day, you can come to the gallery and say, 'I absolutely hated this exhibition and this isn't art,' and the next month, you can come and say, 'This is the best show ever.' And in that moment, you can't say whether you hate or you love African art because you realize African art is as expansive as anything. It's essentially about trying to break the mindset of what African art is. So, in an ideal situation, other than quality, there shouldn't be a way to signify. We also decided to make it a cross-cultural bridge between the Middle East and Africa. It was essential for us to be part of that growth in the region at the foundational level, so that in 10 years, we're not an African gallery trying to emulate what's already happening.

Alongside the gallery, we operate The Rekord gallery, a space that showcases rare and important vinyl records, predominantly from Africa but also from around the world. We realized that if we were going to be an African gallery, we wanted to innovate on what a gallery can do. When you come to a gallery, how you interact with the space, and how you perceive it. We want to be part of that innovation, where in 20 years, the reference point or the source of inspiration for other record galleries can be an African gallery.

When you enter a major gallery, you feel as if you can't touch anything, you can't speak to anyone, and you have to be quiet. You have to be almost there for 15 minutes at most, and then you go, and you don't even know if you're allowed to be there.

However, as an African gallery, we want our values to be reflected within the gallery, particularly as it relates to Africans. One of our biggest values is being accommodating, welcoming, and inviting.

The Rekord Gallery is a place that actually produces conversation. When you enter the music room, you will likely see a record from your childhood or hear a song that reminds you of something, and you can sit and talk about it. You don't feel like you're not meant to be there. With two distinct spaces, we can maintain an elevated approach that showcases the value of our artists, while also providing an accommodating space that reflects our values as a people.

The main challenge in running the gallery is probably constructing a narrative. You never know if you're right. Which is perhaps why we opted for a broad spectrum approach, where there is no right or wrong.

We host five shows a year and officially represent nine artists. It's hard to fully honor your artists because the space limits you. For example, if an artist you represent has a show that doesn't perform as well financially as it should.

I think our current trajectory is quite strong. Ultimately, we aim to see African artists recognized in the canon, with a focus on both the continent and its diaspora. We have collectors from Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, France, Japan, Atlanta, and Lebanon - a diverse mix.

Meanwhile, the gallery primarily attracts a much younger crowd, aged 20 to 30, mainly due to the Rekord Gallery. We also host a library residency named Bootleg Griot, which features three young Nigerians who run a roving library focused on African literature, and they have a brilliant crowd. The Rekord Gallery also operates as a cafe because we want people to stay. We don't want people to just come in for 10 minutes and leave, but we want them to be there for the whole day. So on a random day, you're more likely to see the younger crowd than our actual collectors.

We have also recently renovated the Rekord Gallery to feature film projections. For the summer, we hosted a Friday film program, where we showed a film for free every Friday. And they were films by African filmmakers. Even though we're a gallery, we wanted to find a way to bridge cultural gaps. In the near future, we're planning to host a film festival featuring more arthouse African films. We also have another project coming up, where we plan to showcase limited-edition vinyls featuring conversations with some of our older artists. We are exploring different ways to engage and make the space enjoyable for people.