ILE-IFE, Nigeria (AP) — Babajide Olatunji sold his first portrait for about $7. Seven years later, his charcoal renderings of faces with tribal markings sell for thousands of dollars. This 24-year-old's success is part of a new global recognition of the value of contemporary African art. "It's the new 'Scramble for Africa,' no longer for land, gold or diamonds, but for art," said Giles Peppiatt, who holds the only auctions of modern African art outside the continent, at Bonham's in London. "It's a rather different kind of tussle that is making art a viable occupation for artists across Africa," he said. Nigeria, with the continent's largest economy and population, is leading the art field, too, with a host of established and up-and-coming painters, sculptors, printmakers, potters, photographers, glass and bead workers and batik masters. Olatunji struggled through art school, with help from his mother, who runs a small grocery stall from her home.Read more on NewsOK.com

 

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