NFTs have become an indispensable part of the digital landscape and, in our opinion, promise a lot of good things to look out for in 2022. Also, in Nigeria, Africa, are NFTs becoming increasingly popular thanks to significant initiatives, projects and collaborations. In this article, you can read all about the NFT highlights of 2021.

ART X LAGOS joined the NFT space

We told you all about the ART X LAGOS project in a previous blog. In 2020 and 2021, ART X Lagos was the conversation starter for art and NFTs. Last year, the African-based art fair hosted a hybrid in-person and online exhibition with well-known African artists such as Niyi Okeowo, MDD, Idris Veitch, Youssef El Idrissi, Nyahan Tachie-Menson, Linda Dounia, Pr$dnt Honey, Moonsundiamond and Arclight (also known as Abdulrahman Adesola Yusuf. As West Africa’s international art fair, the Reloading exhibition for ART X LAGOS was a high-profile moment: their first exhibition and encounter with NFTs. This was due to the collaboration with SuperRare; an NFT marketplace invested in the curation and sales of digital artworks.

The collaboration between the two brands highlights how NFTs are redefining the art world and changing the revenue model of the creative industry. Digital art and perhaps art itself has been revived thanks to NFTs. That makes it worth a moment to include on this list.

The rise of African art and artists

In March 2021, artist Osinachi sold one of his paintings for a whopping $75,000 within a week. The African artist who mainly makes his works of art in Microsoft Word made his first entry in 2018 as an artist in the crypto and NFT world. Only to sell even more of his artwork in 2021. In April, for example, he sold the painting ‘Becoming Sochukwuma’ for a mere $80,000. The digital artwork shows a black dancer wearing a tutu doing pirouettes on your computer screen. In an interview with African Business, Osinachi explains that the way we look at art is subject to change, partly due to NFTs.

Another artist who booked great success was Nigerian artist Niyi Okeowo. His artworks consist of a combination of photography, 3D and graphic design. Okeowo’s artwork ‘Indigo Child’ was sold in November for 1.2 Ether ($5,387 at SuperRare’s marketplace. Can every artist suddenly become successful overnight? Certainly not. According to the Nigerian artist, NFTs remain just a way for artists to sell their art. But the advantage is that NFTs allow you to showcase your work without the help or need of others. This gives more power to the artists. 

African music artists enter the NFT market 

While most collectables sold on platforms such as OpenSea are digital works of art, NFTs can also take other forms, one of which is music. A great example is Tory Lanez, an American singer who sold a million copies of his NFT album in 57 seconds in August last year. In Africa, too, artists are beginning to see the added value of selling their music as NFT. One of these artists is Henry Coco-Bassey, also known as Hector. His first song to be minted as NFT was ‘My Fans’. In his piece, Hector preaches about the NFT message. He is inspiring his fans and other African musicians to learn more about the possibilities of NFTs.