I was born into art.
Growing up in Ibadan, Nigeria, my earliest memories are steeped in the rhythm of creativity—watching my father craft intricate batik designs with wax, color, and patience. I
can still see myself sitting on the backyard stairs, keeping watch over fabrics drying in the sun, calling out to my father with excitement when the wax began to melt or the patterns emerged vividly. Art wasn’t just something we did—it was who we were. My father, my uncle, and my grandfather were all artists. Art was our family’s livelihood, our legacy, and our language.
As the first child, I worked closely with my father—assisting with materials, framing, selling artworks in communities where foreign nationals lived, and even helping on complex mosaic pieces that took months to complete. Each piece we made carried not only beauty but a story—a reflection of our culture, environment, and experiences.
Despite my deep artistic roots, I pursued engineering due to academic excellence and the promise of economic opportunity. While I thrived in technology, my passion for art never faded. During my university years, I began commissioning artwork for friends—one of which still hangs proudly in my wife’s family home. Later, while living in Canada, I struggled to find an accessible platform for ordering custom African artwork. That frustration reignited a vision I’d carried since 2017: to create a digital infrastructure that bridges the gap between non-digital artists—especially in underexposed regions like Africa—and art lovers and collectors around the world.
That vision became ArtNativ.
ArtNativ is more than a marketplace—it is a movement to empower traditional artists from underserved regions with visibility, opportunity, and dignity. Too many brilliant African artists remain unseen, underpaid, and undervalued. The global art market is worth over $65 billion, yet access remains skewed toward the privileged and the connected. ArtNativ is here to level that playing field.
For collectors and buyers, ArtNativ offers something rare:
• Unique, handcrafted artworks with deep cultural roots
• Fair pricing without gallery markups
• Secure, transparent transactions through escrow
• Direct artist engagement for custom commissions
• And most importantly, the opportunity to preserve cultural heritage and support emerging talent
Having been both the son of an artist and a buyer of custom art, I understand both sides of the experience. ArtNativ is built on authenticity, integrity, and accountability. We support artists with fair representation, clear rights agreements, and access to a global audience. For buyers, we ensure transparency, two-way reviews, and a seamless experience grounded in trust.
Looking ahead, I envision ArtNativ as a global hub of creative exchange—a cultural
infrastructure that bridges continents, connects communities, and paves the way for the next generation of artists. We are not just connecting artists to buyers—we are crafting the digital rails that will allow creativity to flow freely, across borders, and into the hearts of collectors.
Artistry Without Borders isn’t just our tagline—it’s our promise.
