Duende Art Projects’ ambition is to inspire people and enrich their lives by sharing our profound passion for the art of the African continent. Our purpose is to strengthen Africa’s visibility and significance within the global and diverse art world through a strong digital presence, curated exhibitions on unique locations and the participation to art fairs such as PAN.

Our mission is to connect people — the curious and interested, aspiring and seasoned collectors, connoisseurs, emerging and renowned artists, art advisors, curators and writers — with art from the African continent. We facilitate easy access through compelling exhibitions — offline and online, in Antwerp and on location. Our online platform provides insightful educational content and wishes to be a home for ideas, news and stories. We offer a bespoke and discrete art advisory service that covers all aspects of building and managing a collection.

Duende Art Projects was founded in 2021 by Bruno Claessens, a passionate art expert with 15 years of ample experience in the African art market. Previously, he was the European director of the African art department at Christie’s for 5 years. Bruno has published three books on African art (Ere Ibeji (2013), Baule Monkeys (2016) & UNÛ (2021)) and has ran a popular blog on the subject since 2013. Throughout his career, he gained a profound knowledge of art of the African continent, both classical and contemporary, and has developed a great network of collectors, curators and scholars as well as strong institutional ties. The gallery’s first year saw two major group exhibitions, “Threads” and “Unsettled” as well as a first participation to the renowned art fair Parcours des Mondes in Paris. Duende Art Projects is currently preparing a solo exhibition of new works by the Zimbabwean artist Mostaff Muchawaya, planned for January 2023.