Top 8 places to buy Arts & Crafts in Nigeria

From Sculptures to Paintings to Tapestries and African Crafts, art shopping in Nigeria is harder than you think. Art is good business, with a wide range of different places where you can discover new artists or simply get closer to some good artwork.

You may find pieces that are aesthetically pleasing to you but out of budget and vice versa, which are big obstacles when it comes to buying art. Well, this becomes less of an issue if you know where to look as we have curated a list of the top 8 places to buy Arts & Crafts in Nigeria.

• Online Art Stores

While shopping Arts & Crafts also doubles as a form of Tourism or Hangout, it is however not always the case as you might simply need an Art piece quickly or you are not close to such sites. Buying art online is more common than ever because of the fast paced digital convenience and opportunities in the world right now and what better place can you buy Arts & Crafts easily other than on the most common e-commerce platforms in the country. Example of such platform is our ArtPavilion Marketplace

This is an online art store that boasts an impressive collection of art and crafts pieces from different sellers across the country at accessible prices. It is the largest online art store and multi-vendor marketplace in Nigeria where orders can be placed hassle-free from the comfort of your home using your phones or laptops with prompt doorstep delivery services. You can purchase all your Art & Crafts needs ranging from Art Supplies & Architectural Materials, art books, African crafts, sculptures, terracotta, artistic home & interior decors, kiddies items, afro urban fashion items for men, women, and children; artistic furniture, textiles & fabrics, paper crafts, portraits & paintings, and more on the go and from anywhere in Nigeria.

• Art Exhibitions

Growing and established Artists sometimes collaborate to organize exhibitions of their artwork to prospective buyers and collectors. Attending art exhibitions allows you to find original artwork by artists and gives you an opportunity to communicate with the artists themselves on custom work or when there will be new drops. Several Art Galleries may sometimes organize art exhibitions in an aim to showcase the works of artists who have participated in the art campaign.

Examples of such growing brands that organize such Art Exhibitions are ArtXLagos, Nigeria Now, Society of Nigerian Artists and the Centre for Contemporary Art Lagos and so on. They organize these periodic exhibitions, presentations and sales of Artworks from different Artists across the country and in Diaspora.

• Local Art Markets 

Knowledge of these local art markets are not common but they offer both leisure of shopping and site seeing together. Examples of such market is the the Jakande Art Market, Lagos; it is one of the biggest walk-in art and crafts markets in Nigeria. Consisting of a wide variety of African art, no type of creative indulgences are left out at this incredible tourist attraction. Like any other market in Nigeria, the best time to shop is early in the morning, in order to avoid the traffic and the throngs of people who crowd it in the early afternoons and evenings. Another very prominent Art Market in Nigeria is the Abuja Arts and Crafts Village.

Bargaining is definitely allowed as it is a typical Nigerian walk-in market, just one that sells art. The shops have different crafts and arts on sale, and most pieces come from a different part of Nigeria. From wooden sculptures, masks, necklaces and bracelets to intricately designed chairs, bowls and metalworks, it is almost impossible not to find something you would like. More importantly, make sure to be free and pick things according to your taste.

• Art galleries

There are several art galleries across Nigeria which not only showcase Nigerian and African art but may also put some up for sale. Some art galleries in Nigeria include: Nike Art Gallery located at Lekki, Lagos, Centre for Memories in Enugu State and Retro Africa Gallery in Abuja. 

Art galleries display a wide range of art, from the best known names to up and coming artists which makes it a good option for collectors of high or low budgets to visit. The top art galleries in the country not only immensely contribute to exposure for young artists, they help to appreciate and preserve the aesthetic nature of Nigerian art. Also, they enlighten the populace, within and beyond the shores of the country.

You can find list of Art Galleries close to you HERE.

Hang in there… We still have more on the Top 8 places to buy Arts & Crafts in Nigeria!

• Art auctions/ Fundraiser auctions

An art auction is a process of selling art objects to the highest bidder. It is a secondary art market, quite different from a primary art market which is the direct purchase of art and artwork from artists. The first art auction in Nigeria was held in 1999 by The Nimbus Art Gallery and they are more common now than ever.

Big corporations and art galleries sometimes put together fundraising auctions and most of the auctionable items are artwork sourced from different places. Artwork found at auctions are usually on the expensive side but they are usually recognizable art from famous artists.

• Art Shops

Unlike local Art Markets that comprises of hundreds of different Arts and Crafts Sellers together in a location, there are several Art Shops which are now more common that ever where you can buy all of your Art and Craft needs. These shops are located in strategic locations such as Malls, Airports, and other public areas.

An example of such Art Shops is TheAfricanStore By CraftsVillage, located at the Adeniran Ogunsanya Mall (Shoprite), Surulere Lagos. This store boasts an impressive collection of art at affordable prices. You can also find several other art shops in Nigeria easily HERE.

• Directly from the artist

Buying art directly from artists can be a truly enjoyable experience. With that personal interaction, you can get a fuller idea of an artwork and develop a deeper connection with it.

One great advantage to buying artwork directly from an artist is that you can have access to their entire work catalogue, from much older works to pieces that haven’t even been completed yet and you can request for custom orders. 

The budding question now is where do I find these artists? In Nigeria, due to lack of exposure, artists sometimes hang up their work on roadside fences so that those who ply the road can see it everyday.  These artwork usually contain a way to reach out to the artist directly. This is a great idea for those who want custom art produced. 

Another way is to visit the websites of famous artists and place an order but this applies only to famous Artists who can afford a website. However, at Crafts Village Nigeria, we have created a Business platform to Search, Find & Connect with artists and crafters directly. Please ensure to make all the necessary inquiries when dealing directly with an artist to avoid unforeseen problems.

• Traffic

When all else fails, you can always trust Lagos traffic to deliver what you want to you in the form of Men running at cars at the speed of light. Everything is sold in Lagos traffic including art and crafts ranging from prints to paintings, sculptures, accessories and many more.

We hope our Top 8 places to buy Arts & Crafts in Nigeria helps with your art hunting and shopping. Regardless of your budget size, there is art for you out there. It’s left for you to find it!