Art for Your Home in Dakar: Choosing, Hanging, Caring for It

To bring art into a home or residence in Dakar, think about choosing the piece, where it will hang and how to care for it in a humid climate, before even thinking about price, which is given on request from one gallery to the next. At Ge'eza, in Point E, canvases by artists from East and West Africa are available for this purpose, with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist for every work sold.

Choosing a work for home

A home does not carry the same constraints as an office: you can choose something more personal, that speaks to the taste of the people who live there rather than to passing visitors. Take time to look at several pieces before deciding, and let yourself be guided by what stays in your mind days after a visit. A canvas seen in Ge'eza's gallery lounge, between a coffee and a meal, is often judged better than one seen online.

Where to hang it

Think about the room and its light before thinking about the exact wall. A living room or an entrance, often the most looked-at spaces, suit a bolder piece well, while a bedroom tends to suit something quieter. Hang a work at eye level, under soft rather than direct light: light that is too strong, whether natural or artificial, tires the eye over time and damages pigments.

Caring for art in a humid climate

In Dakar, sea air and the rainy season call for some care. Avoid hanging a piece, especially paper or textile, against an exterior wall that picks up damp, or in a poorly ventilated room. Check the surface regularly, especially during the rainy season, and leave a little air behind the frame rather than pressing it flush to the wall. For a canvas, a suitable varnish and a frame that protects the edges help it get through the seasons undamaged. If in doubt about caring for a particular piece, ask the gallery that sold it to you.

What is on show at Ge'eza

The gallery currently shows "Figures (2025)" by Saadio, in mixed media on canvas, "Sans titre I" and "Sans titre II," from the Lien commun hang, acrylic on canvas, 2025, and "Foule," an oil on canvas from the same year. They can be seen in the gallery lounge, Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm, and their pages are listed on the gallery page.

Buying a work for your home

The process follows the same three steps as any purchase at the gallery. You ask for the price from the page of the piece you like, the team replies on WhatsApp or by phone with the details and the certificate, then you pay by Wave, Orange Money, card or in person. The canvas is then collected at Point E, or shipped outside Dakar on request if your residence is elsewhere. If you are just starting to take an interest in contemporary African art for your home, starting an African art collection covers the first steps, from budget to hanging.

Putting several pieces together

If you are placing several works in the same home, think about how they sit together: pieces from the same hang, such as "Sans titre I" and "Sans titre II," naturally speak to one another if visible from neighbouring rooms. Describe your home and what you have in mind to the team, who can guide you.

A home that often receives guests

If your home regularly welcomes visitors, think about where they spend the most time: the entrance, the living room, the dining room. A work placed there becomes a natural talking point, and many guests like to know where it came from. You can tell them about the gallery in Point E, the villa's gallery lounge, and the artist whose signature it carries. In a diplomatic residence or a home that often receives visiting colleagues, a piece like this also works as a cultural reference point, without anyone needing to be an expert to appreciate it.

Taking your time before choosing

A home is lived in for years, and a work that enters it is meant to stay a long while. There is no need to rush a decision in a single visit. Many people come back a second or third time to the gallery before confirming their choice, sometimes bringing a floor plan or a photograph of the wall in question, to picture the piece in its real place.

Coming to look in person

Nothing replaces seeing a piece in person to judge its real size and how light in the gallery lounge moves across it. The gallery is at 656 avenue Birago Diop, in Point E, a few minutes from the Corniche Ouest and the university. For any question before you decide, write on WhatsApp to +221 78 660 07 07 or to geezacultures@gmail.com.